by Daniel Perez, El Paso MattersAugust 13, 2024
The Texas Tech University System Board voted 8-0 to approve spending $6. 3 million on the design of the planned clinical sciences building on the Texas Tech Health campus in El Paso at its quarterly meeting Nov. 8-9. August at the system’s headquarters in Lubbock.
The proposed five-story, 352,000-square-foot design will be built at 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 rest were at the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center. Its second-stage design procedure 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, the clinical science would be located at the southern end of the building. Each center would have its own entrance.
The expense will cover design development, document structure and administration, as well as cost estimates and the clinical sciences care plan 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 the 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 conceptual plan and a cross-sectional view of the building, said the new construction would paint 3 existing buildings and be more economical. He added that TTHEP’s existing clinical sciences space, approximately 173,000 square feet, is located on the assets of the 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 had our meetings (and) included all the doctors in this, so their input is greatly appreciated by our design team,” said Breedlove, who added that his collaborators paint with HDR, one of the largest medical methods. design in 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 lot with about 1,000 spaces, but Breedlove said designers could recommend building the first spot of a parking lot. He said his team was looking to fulfill imaginable desires and offer the kind of features for the next 20 years that might mean wanting to buy more homes nearby.
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 that among the demanding situations of the project are the investment resources for separate projects that are part of the same building.
Dustin R. Womble, chair of the Facilities Committee, asked how this type of combined allocation can create long-term conflicts over how expenses are allocated. Breedlove said the formula will have to work for prices to spread well.
Another challenge will be how to manage existing rail operations on the tracks just south of the proposed site. Breedlove said Lange was looking to create a “quiet zone” in this domain where trains have been known to whistle long and loud daily.
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 Chair Mark Griffin asked earlier at the meeting in Lange if more land was needed for this project.
“We are at the last level of realization,” Lange said.
When Regents asked for an allocation schedule, Breedlove said he expected to provide design packages in November, as well as site and application packages, some basic packages in February, and a guaranteed maximum value through May. He said that the entire budget for the task should be allocated until June 2025. He said the site was essentially cleared and the structure was expected to 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.
El Paso Matters is a nonpartisan, member-supported media organization that uses journalism to build citizenship in our region.
KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civilized and constructive conversation.
Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can view our network rules by clicking here
If you would like to share an idea for a story, please submit it here.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines |
FCC Public Archive of KVIA-TV | FCC Applications |
Don’t sell my information.