UAMS Campus Expansion

[LIT uPP]

The 12-story expansion of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute was toped out, last Friday. At its scheduled opening in 2010, six or seven floors will be finished out with the remainder set aside for future needs.

[skirby]

A few quick shots of UAMS.

[EJC]

This isn't directly related to UAMS but this is an interesting read on the proposed Research Park with 3 potential sites nearby.

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.as...64&view=all

[thewizard16]

Lots of news today related to the University of Arkansas system, including UAMS.

UAMS has been approved to pursue a $52 million bond issue to finish out the top floor of the new hospital (which is currently shell space) considerably ahead of their intended schedule, as well as finish another shell floor in the new Rockefeller Cancer Insitute Tower for the new Multiple Myeloma Institute. There's also money tagged for renovations to some facilities in the Ward Tower to provide additional recovery rooms, energy efficiency upgrades projected to save $3.5 million a year, and finalize the purchase of Winder field, the old Traveler's ballpark.

This $52 million would be added to the existing debt load of $285 million that UAMS has, most of which is from the ambitious $500+ million campus expansion that began in 2003.

The article can be found here: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/nov/13/uams-bond-issue-52-million-okd-20101113/

Additional expansion and growth news which I'm surprised no one has posted yet:

The Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging will be getting a four-story addition on top of it soon. The Reynolds Foundation has donated another $30 million to make this possible. For those of you that have been there, it's an extremely nice building (of course, what has UAMS built in the last 10 years that isn't extremely nice?), but it's at capacity and in need of more space. I couldn't really picture this addition until they put the renderings up, but it looks nicer than I thought it would. They apparently planned for this addition quite some time ago, and like the vast majority of their buildings, it was built to support additional floors. They will also add a new pedestrian skywalk to connect the institute to the Jackson T. Stephens Spine Center, which will add it to the existing pedestrian network that runs all the way from the College of Public Health through the campus and hospital back to the Spine Center.

Rendering of the addition from the back (Looking from the Markham Street direction near the spine center):

Some additional pictures of recent projects:

The top floor of the new UAMS hospital that's about to be completed as additional bed space:

Their newest education building, the I. Dodd Wilson Building:

You can see the back (Markham Street side) of the new Cancer Institute rising above the old hospital in this picture:

Front of the new Cancer Institute in the background, as well as the recent five floor addition to the Jones Eye Institute in the front:

Closer to the front and circle drive by the lobby of the new Cancer Institute tower:

[thewizard16]

The addition to the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging is progressing nicely. As you can see from the photos, the original rendering of how the building would look when viewed from the north is not the final direction they ended up going with the design. Personally I think the north side of the addition looks better with the glass corner than the rendering version would have. You can also see the new skywalk connecting the Spine Institute and the Reynolds Institute under construction in the north side photo.

South side of the building (I-630 view):

North side of the building (Cedar St. view):

[LIT uPP]

Nice shots. Thanks, for posting these updates.

Just down West Markham from UAMS, St. Vincent has plans to demolish the old office complex at the northeast corner of West Markham and Tyler, and replace it with a single story 22,000 square foot, 23 bed rehabilitation hospital. The existing complex consists of five small office buildings with white exterior walls that face Markham, and sits directly across from War Memorial Golf Course.

[adman0468]

On the VA Hospital parking lot, I've noticed what I thought was just covered parking. But when I biked by Fort Roots the other day, I saw the same thing but with what looked like solar panels on top. Anyone know anything about this? I tried to find details online but was unable to. What a smart use of a parking lot.

[thewizard16]

On the VA Hospital parking lot, I've noticed what I thought was just covered parking. But when I biked by Fort Roots the other day, I saw the same thing but with what looked like solar panels on top. Anyone know anything about this? I tried to find details online but was unable to. What a smart use of a parking lot.

 

They are indeed solar panels. The project at the main VA is part of a 1.8 MW solar array, not sure of the size of the one at Fort Roots. It's going to look interesting for a little while I imagine, but it shades the cars during the day and generates energy, so I consider that a double win right there. Someone I overheard at the hospital complained that it was going to "be an eyesore"... because I assume they think rows of parked cars and plain asphalt is so attractive  . 

[adman0468]

They are indeed solar panels. The project at the main VA is part of a 1.8 MW solar array, not sure of the size of the one at Fort Roots. It's going to look interesting for a little while I imagine, but it shades the cars during the day and generates energy, so I consider that a double win right there. Someone I overheard at the hospital complained that it was going to "be an eyesore"... because I assume they think rows of parked cars and plain asphalt is so attractive  . 

 

Nothing could be as big of an eyesore as the VA hospital. I've hoped for a remodel of that for years.

[thewizard16]

Nothing could be as big of an eyesore as the VA hospital. I've hoped for a remodel of that for years.

 

I disliked the design for a while but it kinda grew on me for some reason (like mold, probably). There are certainly things they could do to make it look nicer, but I doubt the government is too interested in that. The only thing I still truly hate is that crappy looking skybridge connecting UAMS and the VA. I'd love to see that thing stripped down to the frame and made to look like the other glassy UAMS skywalks, but I imagine that isn't going to happen.