by Daniel Perez, El Paso Matters August 13, 2024
Texas Tech University System Board of Trustees Voted 8-0 to approve the $6. 3 million expenditure on the design of the planned clinical science building on Texas Tech Health’s campus in El Paso, whose quarterly assembly will be held Aug. 8-9 at the system’s headquarters in Lubbock.
The proposed five-story, 352,000-square-foot design will be built on the north end of the campus, near Interstate 10. Two-thirds of the construction will be used for clinical sciences and will cost about $186 million. The remainder will be held by the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center. Its second-stage design process began in June 2023.
Billy Breedlove, vice chancellor of planning and construction services, said the clinical center and cancer center are being pursued as two separate projects with two separate investment streams. The recent resolution of the regents only affected the aspect of clinical sciences. Regent Cody Campbell was not present.
As presented, clinical science would be located at the south end of the building. Each center would have its own entrance.
The expenses will cover design development, structural documents and administration, as well as cost estimates, and will allow for plans to be made for the clinical sciences aspect to catch up with the cancer center. The two centers will be built simultaneously.
Richard Lange, president of TTHEP, said the regents’ decision is a vital milestone in the university’s project to provide world-class cancer care at Borderplex.
“This allows us to move forward with our plans to build a future where each and every patient receives the highest level of compassionate, comprehensive care close to home,” Lange said. “We look forward to starting work here at Texas Tech Health El Paso soon. ”
Breedlove, whose presentation included a concept plan and a cross-sectional view of the construction, said the new construction would paint 3 existing buildings and be more economical. He added that TTHEP’s existing clinical science space, of approximately 173,000 square feet, is located in the assets of University Medical Center of El Paso and has benefited netpaintings for about 40 years. It serves about 1,200 patients a day and is operating at full capacity.
The new construction will continue to offer existing clinical features, such as the Breast Care Center, Surgery, Neurology, Pediatrics, Ophthalmology, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and various subspecialties.
“We’ve had our meetings (and) we’ve included all of those doctors in all of this, so their input is greatly appreciated by our design team,” said Breedlove, who added that his collaborators are working with HDR, one of the largest medical design on this project.
Both centers will feature exam and procedure rooms for Paul L. Foster clinical practices, such as nursing stations, laboratory medication storage, clinical supply rooms and waiting areas.
The conceptual design included a parking garage with about 1,000 spaces, but Breedlove said designers could simply recommend building the first spot of a parking garage. He mentioned that his team was looking to fulfill every imaginable wish and offer the kind of features for the next. 20 years that may simply involve the desire to acquire more nearby homes.
The budget approved on August 8, along with the $2. 3 million approved in the past, will be made through the Revenue Financing System and will be reimbursed through statutory allocations for capital structure assistance projects, as well as grants and institutional budgeting.
Breedlove said investment resources for separate projects that are components of the same construction are among the demanding project situations.
Dustin R. Womble, chairman of the Facilities Committee, questioned how this type of combined allocation can create long-term conflicts over how expenses are distributed. Breedlove said the formula will have to work hard to get prices distributed well.
Another challenge will be how to manage existing rail operations on tracks just south of the site of the proposed structure. Breedlove said Lange was seeking to create a “quiet zone” in this domain where trains are known to whistle long and loudly.
A TTHEP spokesman said Lange was in initial discussions with several shipping entities to discuss options. Breedlove mentioned an early concept of a tunnel that would allow cars and pedestrians to pass under the railroad area, and hinted that this could simply involve the acquisition of additional property.
Board President Mark Griffin previously asked at the meeting in Lange if more land was needed for this project.
“We’re in the final stages of getting it done,” Lange said.
When Regents asked for an allocation schedule, Breedlove said he expected to submit the design packages in November, as well as the site and application packages, some basic packages in February and a guaranteed maximum value through May. He said the entire budget for the allocation should be allocated until June 2025. He said the site is essentially open and the structure will take no more than 3 years.
The Regents approved the initial concept for the Clinical Science Building in November 2023. They awarded just over $2 million for the initial design that would include cost estimates and an allocation schedule. In May, the Regents approved expenditures of $307,000 for the appropriation’s pre-construction activities. such as site research and a constructability review, as well as oncology clinic design.
This article was first published on El Paso Matters and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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