UAMS Campus Expansion

[mcheiss]

If I had to guess, it sounds like it will be another tower adjacent to the current one. As much as I'd like for them to add ontop of the existing floors, it seems a bit unfeasable.

[CentralArkansas]

Cool, I had missed that announcement.

This is the current building. It was originally 4 stories and was expanded to 12, I'm not sure it was built for further vertical expansion. If not, though, it would be difficult to add on because it's completely surrounded by other buildings now.

Was this expansion part of the original plan, or is it outside the new hospital/dorms/etc.?

[Aporkalypse]

Was this expansion part of the original plan, or is it outside the new hospital/dorms/etc.?

No, this is a new deal. Sounds like work on it won't start until the work on the new hospital and psychiatry buildings are largely done, the dorms are nearly finished already. Just more booming to the campus, which is starting to create a skyline in it's own right.

UAMS hematologist/oncologist Bart Barlogie was US News' National Physician of the Year, BTW.

[Architect]

Was this expansion part of the original plan, or is it outside the new hospital/dorms/etc.?

This is separate from the $200M hospital expansion. I've seen the original schematic, and it is a separate tower built directly to the north side (opposite photo). If I recall correctly, I think it wraps over the top as well, extending the heighth somewhat.

[LIT uPP]

I found some potentially exciting news about the expansion of the Arkansas Cancer Research Center that will require you to look carefully at a photo on the UAMS website. UAMS has updated its campus expansion website with an article about the planned ACRC addition. You can read that here:

http://www.uams.edu/update/absolutenm/temp...8&zoneid=90

The update states that the new 200,000 square foot multi-floor building will stand just north of the current building. Two architectural firms, Cromwell Architects Engineers Inc. of Little Rock and FKP Architects of Houston, are currently working on the design. You won

[turboturtle]

I found some potentially exciting news about the expansion of the Arkansas Cancer Research Center that will require you to look carefully at a photo on the UAMS website. UAMS has updated its campus expansion website with an article about the planned ACRC addition. You can read that here:

http://www.uams.edu/update/absolutenm/temp...8&zoneid=90

The update states that the new 200,000 square foot multi-floor building will stand just north of the current building. Two architectural firms, Cromwell Architects Engineers Inc. of Little Rock and FKP Architects of Houston, are currently working on the design. You won

[Architect]

Architect?

LIT uPP just described all that I know about that project. I don't work with Cromwell. I've seen a rendering in the past - not sure if that's the same one, but it is planned as a taller tower that sits directly behind (to the north) and envelops the existing high-rise. While I doubt the scope and/or general approach has changed, I imagine that the design has evolved somewhat from the image you see in the background. FKP may be playing a larger role in the design...they weren't a part of the original study that Cromwell conducted as far as I know.

[Aporkalypse]

Interesting, thanks for posting that. That building is very impressive. From a development standpoint I would love to see it. UAMS doesn't really need to expand ACRC at all and expansion wouldn't need to be nearly that large. It needs more quality medical oncologists and cancer basic scientists with NIH grants rather badly. I had heard the building was going to be smaller, like 4-6 stories. Maybe things have changed or the building will be expanded later, as the original ACRC was.

It looks like it's positioned exactly between the current ACRC building, the outpatient building, and the Jones Eye Institute in that small piece of empty space that forms a court. That's not a big piece of land. I agree it looks much taller than the current building and appears to have a glass spire.

A few years ago there was a plan to add several floors to the parking deck adjacent to ACRC and build a Myeloma Institute there. I guess that died but there are a number of big money contributors that want to give Barlogie money to build a freestanding Myeloma Institute. The problem is they don't want it in Little Rock but somewhere on the East Coast. Barlogie has announced he was leaving more than once, which would decimate UAMS and especially ACRC as his group does nearly all of the significant cancer research there. If something has changed and there is financial backing for a freestanding myeloma center that would explain the answer. I know as of now Barlogie is supposed to be staying.

Suen is excellent, a good physician and a good man. He wrote the textbook on ENT oncology.

[LIT uPP]

It looks like it's positioned exactly between the current ACRC building, the outpatient building, and the Jones Eye Institute in that small piece of empty space that forms a court.

The area you describe is located south of the ACRC and includes the driveway that allows patients to be dropped off at each of the three buildings. According to the UAMS update, the new tower will be constructed on the north side of the ACRC. You will only see the top of the new building from the court.

[Aporkalypse]

The area you describe is located south of the ACRC and includes the driveway that allows patients to be dropped off at each of the three buildings. According to the UAMS update, the new tower will be constructed on the north side of the ACRC. You will only see the top of the new building from the court.

I knew where they said they would build but in the drawing it looks like the building's in the site I described to me. It's really tough to tell much from that drawing, though.

[LIT uPP]

I consulted a source at UAMS that I consider to be somewhat

[Aporkalypse]

UAMS breaks ground on the new hospital today. Here's the site:

The campus's third parking deck is under construction now...

[mcheiss]

Cool photos. Any idea on how big this is going to be?

[jcaruth]

Cool photos. Any idea on how big this is going to be?

10 stories, 500,000SF

[mcheiss]

Cool, it'll certainly be nice to see.

Thanks jcaruth.

[Architect]

Cool photos. Any idea on how big this is going to be?

It is the most expensive public works project in the history of Arkansas - with the exception of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River navigation project - costing in excess of $200M.

[Aporkalypse]

It is the most expensive public works project in the history of Arkansas - with the exception of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River navigation project - costing in excess of $200M.

I think the hospital itself is $120 million but the entire current campus expansion is $200 million.

This needed to be done a long time ago.

Since you are an architect I thought you'd find this interesting, one of my professors told me about this. I always wondered why the old University Hospital had ledges, I thought it was something utilitarian for washing windows, etc. The architect actually designed the building without air conditioning or heating vents because he thought the ledges would shade the windows and make air conditioning unnecessary. That obviously wasn't true. The same architect designed Stanford's hospital which had the same flaws. A few years later he won accolades, though, for designing Pepsi's headquarters in New York.

[Architect]

I think the hospital itself is $120 million but the entire current campus expansion is $200 million.

This needed to be done a long time ago.

Since you are an architect I thought you'd find this interesting, one of my professors told me about this. I always wondered why the old University Hospital had ledges, I thought it was something utilitarian for washing windows, etc. The architect actually designed the building without air conditioning or heating vents because he thought the ledges would shade the windows and make air conditioning unnecessary. That obviously wasn't true. The same architect designed Stanford's hospital which had the same flaws. A few years later he won accolades, though, for designing Pepsi's headquarters in New York.

You are correct - the entire project is $200M, not just the hospital.

There is some truth to what your friend said. The original architect was Edward Durell Stone, who was a renowned architect. There was no airconditioning at that time (and I doubt that that was because the architect thought otherwise - probably cost), and the overhands were designed as sunscreens to mitigate heat. The most interesting thing involved the openings in these concrete overhangs, that were supposedly for helping allow air movement up the facade. How successful this was is certainly debatable!

[Aporkalypse]

You are correct - the entire project is $200M, not just the hospital.

There is some truth to what your friend said. The original architect was Edward Durell Stone, who was a renowned architect. There was no airconditioning at that time (and I doubt that that was because the architect thought otherwise - probably cost), and the overhands were designed as sunscreens to mitigate heat. The most interesting thing involved the openings in these concrete overhangs, that were supposedly for helping allow air movement up the facade. How successful this was is certainly debatable!

The ADG today said the hospital will be $165 million and the total expansion $330 million.

[Architect]

The ADG today said the hospital will be $165 million and the total expansion $330 million.

I can confirm the hospital numbers, but the total of $330M is incorrect unless they're throwing in every current and future planned project on campus. That particular new project is not $330M however you want to add it up!

[Aporkalypse]

I can confirm the hospital numbers, but the total of $330M is incorrect unless they're throwing in every current and future planned project on campus. That particular new project is not $330M however you want to add it up!

I'm sure they are throwing in the already nearly completed Residence Halls, the psychiatry building, hospital, and ASH as well as the ACRC expansion. I thought that was a bit high as well.

[skirby]

A picture of the hospital expansion at UAMS. From their website. Taken in October.

[Aporkalypse]

A picture of the hospital expansion at UAMS. From their website. Taken in October.

Not much was different a month later at the LSU game. This kind of project takes quite a while.

[LIT uPP]

The project development section of UAMS

[Aporkalypse]

Rendering of the expanded ACRC (Arkansas Cancer Research Center) released today.

UAMS named a new director for ACRC today as well.

Where it says "Cancer Institute" it's clearly a hint that it will be renamed from ACRC to the Rockefeller Cancer Institute. The Rockefellers will make a very large donation contingent on the state matching funding.