A Level III neonatal intensive care unit, created in collaboration with Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, provides 14 private beds. The tower also delivers advanced imaging capabilities ranging from MRI and CT to ultrasound and interventional radiology as well as rooftop helicopter access for emergency transports.

Photo courtesy A.O. Reed & Co.

A six-story connector bridge built between Tower I and Tower II to achieve what the team called a “single-building approach.” More than 20 tie-ins were identified and built to link fire protection, plumbing, pneumatic tube and other systems between the two towers.

That effort required demolition and reconstruction above operating rooms, sterile processing units and post-anesthesia recovery suites—all while the hospital remained fully functional.

Chris Delgado, project director at McCarthy Building Cos., said the coordination was unlike anything he had managed before. “We were building essentially over the heads of surgeons while they were operating,” he recalled. “Every move had to be mapped against the hospital’s surgical schedule, and sometimes we adjusted hour by hour.”

Specialized waterproofing crews were brought in during tie-in work to prevent moisture from entering and disrupting patient care.

Tower II is the first acute care hospital in California regulated by the Dept. of Health Care Access and Information to use a bolted SidePlate steel system, eliminating extensive field welding. The approach shortened erection schedules, reduced total steel tonnage and improved quality consistency. Precast brick paneling was chosen for the exterior to echo hand-laid masonry while accelerating enclosure.

Photo courtesy A.O. Reed & Co.

Inside, the tower became the first HCAI 1 facility to incorporate Steris Cleansuite modular operating room ceilings. The pre-

manufactured units integrate HVAC, lighting and surgical booms, delivering laminar airflow to reduce airborne particles while allowing future upgrades without invasive structural changes.

Medical gas, reverse osmosis water and vacuum systems were fully modernized. McCarthy self-performed major concrete work and coordinated MEP installations using BIM tools to avoid clashes and maintain quality. A central plant expansion included a 1,350-ton chiller and capacity for future growth.

Supporting the clinical expansion required significant central plant upgrades. Two new emergency power generators, chillers, cooling towers, boilers and advanced air handling units with HEPA and carbon filtration were added.

Over 1.85 million worker hours, the project recorded an OSHA incident rate of 0.64 and no lost-time accidents.