WHEAT RIDGE, CO — The Intermountain Health Project in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, is entering its final phase as the Barton Malow-Haselden joint venture is in the finishing stages of construction. The new hospital, which will be formally known as the Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital following the SCL Health-Intermountain Health merger in 2022, will replace the existing Lutheran facility.

Situated at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, covering nearly 27 acres, and located along the I-70 corridor, the new facility will feature roughly 660,000 gross square feet of space on six levels, including more than 237 total patient beds, 226 of which are licensed (including 176 universal care, 11 labor and delivery, 19 postpartum/antepartum, 15 NICU, and 16 observation), 10 operating rooms on one floor, and two C-Section operating rooms.

Additional building areas include a central utility plant, medical imaging suite, two MRIs, emergency department, radiology, central sterile, Cath Lab, women’s services, NICU, rooftop helipad, chapel, gift shop, and a full-service cafeteria. In conjunction with the hospital project, Barton Malow-Haselden has also constructed an onsite six-story parking garage with a bridge connecting to Level 2 of the hospital.

When complete, the Intermountain Health Replacement Hospital project will provide access to expert health care services, ensuring improved health care outcomes and enhancing the overall well-being of residents within Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County, and the West Denver communities for years to come.

The Intermountain Health Replacement Hospital project, which began with a vision to build the “hospital of the future” in Wheat Ridge, has evolved through hours of hard work. With a substantial completion date expected in early May 2024 and the first patient arrival anticipated in early August, the project team is in the final push to turn over this project to the client. From the outset, the team set out to deliver a cutting-edge facility that would meet the highest industry standards.

Utilizing innovative approaches to construction — such as prefabricated MEP racking, prefabricated patient room bathroom PODs, digital pull-plan sessions through Nialli, and constructing the building simultaneously from Level 2 down (Podium) and Level 3 up (Tower) — has allowed construction to proceed efficiently and keep up with the accelerated project schedule. The skilled workforce’s efforts, planning, quality control, and risk management have been instrumental in this achievement.

The team is currently executing the startup and commissioning of major MEP equipment, including boilers, chillers, AHUs, and other components. In addition, the team is conducting exterior building punch lists, final cleaning areas as finishes wrap up, implementing clean space protocols, gearing up for interior punch lists, and continuing to navigate a rigorous inspection process for building signoffs as project completion nears.