Published: October 14, 2008 11:17 pm         

Final structural steel placed at $185 million Hospital expansion

TERRE HAUTE — James and Dottie Whitaker watched with pride Tuesday morning as their son, John, helped place the final steel beam as part of Union Hospital’s $185 million expansion/renovation project.

Hospital employees, community leaders and other dignitaries attended the so-called “topping off” ceremony, when the final beam was raised by crane and positioned into its final resting place.

John Whitaker and Matt May, both employees of Misco Steel Erectors, completed the task up high as onlookers watched from below.

John is the third generation of ironworkers in his family. Many years ago, his dad, now retired, placed the final steel beam for another major Union Hospital project.

“It’s very impressive,” Dottie Whitaker said. The hospital expansion “is going to be great.”

The topping-off ceremony is another major milestone for the $185 million expansion/renovation project.

The project is on schedule and completion of the new building is estimated at October 2009, with opening planned for January 2010.

When the entire expansion/renovation project is completed, Union Hospital will have 380 private rooms for inpatient and outpatient use.

“Our vision is for Union Hospital to be among the best hospitals in our class in the country, not just in Indiana or in this area,” said David Doerr, president and chief executive officer of Union Hospital Health Group.

The project includes construction of a four-story, 500,000-square-foot new facility as well as renovation of about 104,000 square feet of the existing hospital.

Garmong Construction of Terre Haute and Pepper Construction of Chicago are the construction managers for the project, part of a joint venture.

The topping-off ceremony is significant because it is the completion of the building’s superstructure, said David Hannum, chairman and CEO of Garmong Construction.

Most of the things that can delay the project or cause budget overruns “are largely behind us,” Hannum said.

The project is having a huge impact on the local economy, officials said.

Lenex Steel, which has a 150,000-square-foot fabrication plant in Terre Haute, contributed 2,400 tons of finished steel to the Union Hospital project, which is currently employing an average of 350 to 400 construction workers per day.

“This is the largest single building construction project in the history of Terre Haute,” Hannum said.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.