W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. is currently constructing the largest project ever in its Jackson office, a $47-million new adult hospital at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMC).
Yates also is constructing a $12.5-million addition to the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
“There will be two stories to accommodate pediatric surgery,” said UMC Hospital Administrator Mark Wall. He added, “We’re growing and we’re fortunate enough to expand our services.”
“Overall, the commitment among all parties to facilitate a teamwork environment has been the thrust of the success in staying on schedule. Both projects are extremely unique, and we are excited to be a part of the UMC team,” said Shane Deville, senior project manager, Yates Construction.
The new hospital will be completed in fall 2004. Construction began in fall 2001 on the west side of the medical center’s campus. The project also will include an ambulatory surgical center. The Batson children’s hospital project began six months ago and will take approximately 18 additional months to complete.
Then, the current main hospital will be renovated to provide space for research and offices.
Yates has constructed a number of large projects including the $930-million Nissan auto plant near Jackson, and a $31-million inn on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.
Dean and Dean/Associates Architects P.A., with offices in nearby Rankin County, is the architect for the projects. Gary Larose, of the firm, said the design for the adult tower was developed several years ago. “We took a look at innovative hospitals across the country,” he added. “Before the final design, we built a full-size patient room.”
Focus groups including doctors, nurses and other medical personnel were given a chance to look at the room and offer comments.
The hospital will include five completed floors and a 267,000-sq.-ft. (24,991 sq m) basement and two additional floors that will be shelled in for future expansion. The upper four levels of the completed floors will accommodate 256 patients.
Patient floors will feature two triangular shaped 32-bed nursing units designed on the patient-focused care concept, which maximizes efficiency for physicians, nursing staff and other caregivers. The two shelled-in-floors will accommodate 128 additional patients.
According to the design, there will be a dramatic new front door to the hospital. Design features include a skylit porte cochere and two-story atrium space with an admissions area, chapel and gift shop.
The new complex also will include heavily landscaped exterior courtyard spaces to the north and east. Covered walkways will be provided connecting the School of Nursing, the adjacent parking structure to the west and the existing hospital.
Vehicle circulation to and around the new facility will include creation of a new entry drop-off and the widening of existing roads to permit two-way traffic.
The Batson children’s hospital project involves adding floors six and seven to the existing five stories. The sixth floor will include a 14-bed bay for outpatient surgery, a family waiting area, a pediatric dental clinic, a GI and pulmonary lab, recovery area, and surgery support areas. The seventh floor will have the operating rooms, an 11-bed post anesthesia unit, a five-bed pre-op holding area, space for a post-anesthesia unit, a five-bed pre-op holding area, space for pediatric anesthesia, and a family consultation and waiting area.
Three cranes, as well as other heavy equipment, were being used on the projects. The cranes included two tower cranes. One was a Peiner SK 405 crane that has a hook height of 215 ft. (65.5 m) and a reach of 199 ft. (61 m). Its capacity is 13,000 lbs. (5,897 kg) at the tip. The crane was being used between the new Adult Tower (the name for the new facility) and the existing hospital.
Another crane, a Wolff WK 280 EC, has a hook height of 180 ft. (55 m) and a reach of 213 ft. (65 m). Its capacity is 7,717 lbs. (3,500 kg) at the tip. It was being used between the new Adult Tower and State Street, a main thoroughfare in Jackson.
The crane at the Batson children’s hospital is a Sumitomo 200-ton (181 t) LS 248. It has 185 ft. (56 m) and a 140-ft. (43 m) radial working boom.
All three cranes were removed from the projects at the end of January.
Other heavy equipment at the site includes a Grove RT 530E cherry picker, a JLG 605 reach lift, a Caterpillar Terra Handler 83 forklift and a Cat D4C dozer. Deville said the company owns some equipment and rents others like the cranes.
Deville noted that Bracken is the subcontractor for the Batson project for scope demolition and pre-cast erection steel.
Approximately 30 subcontractors are being used for both projects in site work, utilities (such as French drains), concrete formwork and reinforcing steel installing.
Deville said approximately 220 persons are working on both projects.
W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. is part of the Yates Companies Inc., which also includes JESCO Inc., Blaine Construction Corp. and Merit Electrical Inc.
In addition to Jackson, the Yates Companies Inc. has in-state offices in Philadelphia, Biloxi and Tupelo. Out-of-state offices are in San Antonio, TX; Memphis, and Knoxville, TN; Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery, AL; and Destin and Baton Rouge, LA.
Yates provides construction services for all types of building projects including multi-story office buildings, entertainment facilities, medical and healthcare facilities, auto manufacturing assembly plants, parking structures, industrial power/cogeneration plants, water treatment facilities and many others.
With a staff of more than 4,500 qualified and skilled professionals, Yates currently works in more than 20 states ranging from Atlantic City, NJ. to Roseville, CA. The company has annual revenues of more than $1 billion. Its motto is “On time, within budget and to the owner’s satisfaction.”
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