Skanska, in a joint venture with MAPP Construction LLC, is providing preconstruction and construction services for the new University Medical Center, a major affiliate of LSU Health, in downtown New Orleans, Louisiana.
Situated on 38 acres, bound by Canal Street, South Galvez Avenue, Tulane Avenue and South Claiborne Avenue, the new state-of-the-art academic medical campus will include the only Level 1 Trauma Center in South Louisiana.
Designed to meet flood-resistant construction standards, the first floors of the hospital and ambulatory care building, which house critical functions, will be built 22 feet above sea level, well beyond the five-foot base flood elevation for the hospital site. The new campus incorporates storm-proofing technology, including six generators for emergency backup power, which allows the medical campus to withstand up to Category Three hurricanes as well as tornadoes; nuclear or biological accidents; physical attacks; fires; and chemical, biological and radiation hazards, all while remaining in operation for up to a week with virtually no outside support or back-up supplies.
This new campus will serve as the medical education center for excellence for healthcare professions in Louisiana. The hospital will be a key academic anchor for LSU Health, Tulane University, Dillard University, Xavier University, Southern University at New Orleans, Delgado Community College and other healthcare training schools throughout South Louisiana.
Construction began in September of 2011, and the facility is expected to open in Spring 2015.
