Site work underway at Orchard and George.
Sign posted at site of future neuroscience center.
After more than two years of pandemic-induced delays, Yale New Haven Hospital has revived its neuroscience center development plans — with construction vehicles now on site at the southern end of the St. Raphael’s campus, and local building permits pulled for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of medical-center-expansion work soon to come.
That’s the latest with YNHH’s plans to transform its current hospital campus on the border of the Dwight and West River neighborhoods.
The plan involves the the hospital’s proposed construction of a new neuroscience medical research and treatment center that will consist of two connected eight-story and seven-story buildings at the corner of Sherman Avenue and George Street. It will also see the construction of a new 198-space underground garage, and the replacement of the existing Orchard Street Garage with two new seven-story parking garages on the block. (Click here, here, here, here, here and here for previous Independent articles about this project.)
YNHH won site plan approval for this neuroscience center project from the City Plan Commission back in April 2020.
Right at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“All of the Covid activities have put our project on hold,” YNHH Vice President Facilities Design Stephen Carbery said during that April 2020 City Plan Commission when explaining why this project, then estimated as costing $838 million to build, would be indefinitely delayed.
The George St. entrance to St. Raph's.
A flurry of recently pulled new building permits for the project, as well as a half-dozen construction vehicles and hard-hatted workers on hospital properties on George Street, indicate that now — two years later — this project appears to be moving ahead.
Those building permits cover well over $410 million worth of construction work, and cost the hospital over $11 million in city permit fees.
YNHH spokesperson Mark D’Antonio confirmed in a Monday afternoon email sent to the Independent that “site work at SRC [the St. Raphael’s Campus] has begun.” He said that the hospital plans to send out a media advisory soon about an upcoming formal groundbreaking.
YNHH Senior Vice-President Vin Petrini provided a few more details when asked for comment back in June about the latest with the neuroscience center plans. “After the pandemic delay, the project will indeed be moving forward this summer,” he stated in a June 15 email. “There is no doubt that the pandemic has put enormous financial pressure on the Health System, but with that said, there has been no change in the scope of the project.
“There has been no formal work that’s taken place to date, but as we finalize the permitting process with the City, you should see some enabling work underway over the next several weeks. Our goal is to officially break ground later this summer or early Fall. Once that occurs, the formal construction process will begin in earnest.”
As promised, two months after Petrini sent that email, the hospital has pulled a host of building permits and its contractors have begun site work.
Dirt piled at Sherman and George.
The city’s online building permit database offers further insight as to what’s going on now, and what will soon be taking place at Sherman Avenue, Orchard Street, and George Street.
Some of those recent permits include:
• On June 22, James Labrie of the contractor Turner Construction Company pulled a building permit for the construction of the “core and shell only” of “YNHH’s Raphael Campus Neuroscience Center & Bed Tower Project” at 1450 Chapel St. According to the text of the permit, that project includes a “6‑story overbuild of existing McGivney Surgical Center, 2‑story underground parking garage, 8‑story tower over UG garage structure, bridge to existing Verdi building, and a healing garden on the 4th floor roof between McGivney & Sherman towers.” The estimated construction cost for the permitted work is $274,698,000, and the total permit fee was $7,767,718.90.
• On June 29, Turner Construction’s Labrie pulled another building permit for the “fitout” of the neuroscience center and bed tower project. This work “includes the interior renovation of the 6‑story overbuild of the McGivney Ambulatory building and of the 8 story Sherman Tower. Includes lobby/reception/conference areas, neuroscience center, diagnostic imaging, epilepsy monitoring unit, rehabilitation spaces, and 4 patient floors.” The estimated construction cost for the permitted work is $137,444,000, and the total permit fee was $4,159,105.44.
• On Aug. 3, David Corriveau of the contractor Environmental Engineering Inc. pulled a building permit to renovate and upgrade the HVAC systems for two offices at 1450 Chapel St., 103 and 203. The estimated construction cost for that permitted work is $179,000, and the total fee for the permit was $6,361.54.
• On July 28, Bob Westrin pulled an electrical permit for the demolition of existing power and lighting at 1450 Chapel St., Suite 103 and Suite 203. That permit also covers the replacement of existing panels with new panel boards, the installation of new light fixtures and controls, the reworking of fire alarms, and the providing of new receptacles and of power for mechanical equipment. The estimated construction cost for that permitted work is $143,000, and the total for the permit was $5,092.18.
• On June 23, Nadine Kross of the contractor Mechanical Plumbing & Heating pulled a mechanical permit for the furnishing and installation of reheat coil units, duct work, and hydronic piping at 1450 Chapel St. The estimated construction cost for that permitted work is $573,000, and the total permit fee was $20,253.98.
• On June 23, Nadine Kross pulled a plumbing permit for plumbing rough, fixtures, and “med gas” at 1450 Chapel St. The estimated construction cost for that permitted work is $286,000, and the total permit fee was $10,134.36.
• On June 21, Edward Fortin pulled an electrical permit for a second-floor renovation with wiring for new lights, new outlet, new fire alarm, new “nurse call” and new “tele/data wiring” at 1450 Chapel St. The estimated construction cost for that permitted work is $665,923, and the total permit fee was $23,533.16.
• On June 8, Coady Reilly of the Petra Construction Corp. pulled a building permit for the renovation of two offices (suites 103 and 203) at YNHH’s St. Raphael’s Campus. “The scope of work includes: selective demolition, new finishes, and MEP upgrades.” The estimated construction cost for that permitted work is $334,328, and the total permit fee was $11,862.10.
• On May 24, Garrick Yanosky of the contractor Caldwell & Walsh Building Constuction Inc. pulled a building permit for “Yale New Haven Health, 5D Observation Project, 1450 Chapel Street. This project includes renovation of existing clinical space and will include 16 Observation bays, new RTU system along with placing a local temporary HVAC unit while RETU is being replaced.” The estimated construction cost for that permitted work is $1.5 million, and the total permit fee was $52,940.
Site work underway at George and Sherman.
Fantastic news for New Haven! Congratulations to Yale and all the subcontractors involved, another world-class facility going up in an area of science that is fascinating and has massive growth and future potential.