Industry News

The Walt Disney Foundation is planning to convert a 44,000-sf brick building in San Francisco's Presidio to create a museum honoring Walt Disney. Construction is expected to begin in early 2005 with the museum opening in 2007. The museum, to be designed by Tanner Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, will include an art gallery, an exhibit of Disney's personal items, and a research center.

Washington Hospital Healthcare System is planning a $282-million expansion and seismic retrofit of Washington Hospital in Fremont, Calif. Construction on a new power plant at the site will break ground in 2005. The initial development phase describes an expansion of the hospital's emergency department, ICU, cardiac care, and lab and radiology facilities, as well as the addition of beds and operating rooms. The cost of the hospital's comprehensive expansion plan over the next ten years is estimated at $476 million.

Texas A&M University is building the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at its Corpus Christi campus. The new 56,000-sf marine science research facility will focus on teaching, research, and service related to the Gulf of Mexico with special emphasis on the Texas Gulf Coast. The facility will include an education outreach center, research and teaching laboratories, a seminar room, classrooms, and a conference facility. WHR is working in association with Richter Architects on the design of this facility.

University of California Davis has recently completed the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) in Davis, Calif. Constructed by McCarthy, the facility combines a variety of different uses, supporting the latest trends in student activity and recreation. Designed by Cannon Design of Westwood, Calif., the 155,000-sf ARC houses a conference center, student union, fitness club, and other amenities. Total construction cost for the project was approximately $31 million.

Kaiser Permanente is engaged is construction of the new 1,002,528-sf Downey Medical Center and parking structure in Downey, Calif. Constructed by McCarthy, the facility will replace the hospital portion of the existing Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center, which will be converted to an outpatient facility. Being built in accordance with state seismic requirements, the 352-bed, full-service hospital will include inpatient and outpatient services and will house 82 departments as well as an 85-room emergency department.