Operation Smile HQ's to be built in Va Beach

[mikefaceless]

This seems to me to be a project we should definitely take some interest in. Here is the news article from Wavy.com

Operation Smile, Inc certainly has something to smile about - they've treated more than 100-thousand children with facial deformities in more than 30 countries since 1982. It was announced Friday that the organization will be building it's world headquarters right here in Hampton Roads. The facility will be located in Va. Beach off Rosemont Road, adjacent to Tidewater Community College's campus in Princess Anne Commons.

According to a news release, Wayne Zinn, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Information Officer of Operation Smile says, "This is an ideal location for Operation Smile. It affords us room for multiple activities, including administration, international programs, development, communications, information technology, logistics and materials management. We also foresee many collaborative partnerships because of how close we'll be to Tidewater Community College and its new health professions center...."

Dr. Bill Magee, Co-Founder and Chief Exec. Officer says, "Operation Smile has been privileged to call the Hampton Roads community our home for 25 years. Now, with this opportunity to build a world headquarters in Virginia Beach, we can embark on the next 25 years and renew our promise to help all the world's children."

Virginia Beach Mayor, Meyera Oberndorf: "...Operation Smile...will be a boon to the city and the entire region....Operation Smile volunteers have made a tremendous difference in the lives of children, their families and their communities around the world. Virginia Beach will be proud to have such a visionary organization in our city."

Operation Smile's World Headquarters will be a 65-thousand square foot building and will serve as it's International Resource Center. It will house the charity's administrative offices as well as classrooms and other spaces for the training and hosting of medical professionals, international business leaders, diplomats, and students. The center will learn and share the latest surgical techniques along with advanced training in volunteer programs, fund raising, communications and financial management skills.

Operation Smile will conduct a $25-milliion fund raising campaign to finance and design construction. Construction has been tentatively set for the Spring of 2008 and ready for occupancy by 2010. According to Zinn the building will be 'green' in every aspect, from recycled building materials to energy efficient.

TCC will provide state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, and simulation spaces. The center is expected to enhance TCC's ability to respond to the increasing shortages of the region's and the state's health care workforce.

The news release also state that the first phase of the Regional Health Professions Center is a $31.5 million project. The 65,000-square-foot, three-story facility will be completed in late 2009 and will include 41 new laboratories, high-technology classrooms, simulation rooms and computer classrooms/laboratories, as well as faculty offices and student study and lounge space. Specialized spaces will include an ambulance simulator laboratory, a simulated hospital environment for the certified nursing program, a fully functional sleep lab with provisions for EKG, and a simulated two-story apartment to facilitate training on in-home treatment techniques for various disciplines as well as EMT response in a multi-story residence.

When it is funded, the second phase will add 40,000 square feet to the center to provide

additional instructional space for new programs in the health professions.

Virginia Beach will dedicate 18 acres of publicly held land and provide site improvements including: outdoor lighting, sidewalks, landscaping and parking lots.

City Council previously appropriated $1,980,135 to TCC for non-building infrastructure on the site. The city's additional infrastructure investment for the mini-campus may be capped at $3.5 million, pending City Council approval.

[urbanlife]

this doesnt surprise me about the move, their current location was too small for them back in 2000. They have to be hurting for new space now. Good they are making a move, too bad they are not building a tower at or near the TC, but whatever.