The future home of Wake Forest Baptist Health – West Campus, the 88-acre site in the town of Bermuda Run on NC Highway 801 at Interstate 40, has been cleared with the exception of the natural wetlands, which are being protected.
There may be 100-150 workers when construction activity is at its peak and Wake Forest Baptist anticipates that 200 permanent health care and related jobs will be created when phase one is open.
Grading of the site for the outpatient services building also has been completed and workers have poured the foundation of the 101,000 square foot building. Concrete walls have ben constructed below grade and steel is being erected. The outpatient services building will house the emergency department, diagnostic imaging and outpatient surgery.
“The property looks totally different now,” said Karen Huey, vice president of Facilities at Wake Forest Baptist. More than 185,000 cubic yards of dirt was moved in fewer than three months.
Grading continues at the site for the 60,000 square foot medical office building, loop road, parking lots and the commercial development.
$79 Million Phase One Investment Creating Hundreds of Construction Jobs & Local Subcontractor Opportunities
With Phase one grading complete, construction materials have been delivered to the site and construction is underway. “The site is buzzing with construction activity,” said Karen Huey, vice president of facilities at Wake Forest Baptist. “Soon, there will be more than 100 construction workers on the site.”
Rodgers Builders, Inc. of Charlotte is the general contractor for phase one of the medical center. Rodgers has constructed buildings for more than 40 hospitals in the southeast. Rodgers is providing opportunities for subcontractors in Davie and adjoining counties to participate in the project. The total cost of phase one is estimated at $79 million.
Stimulus for Future Economic Growth
Approximately half of the land has been set aside for commercial development, including banks, restaurants, hotels and shops. “We believe our investment and the planned investment in the commercial development will be a stimulus for future economic growth,” said John McConnell, M.D., CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
The two buildings in phase one are scheduled to be completed by late next fall. Phase two of the project, which includes the development of hospital beds, is scheduled for completion in 2017.
