UNC Health Care’s Surgical Tower set to begin construction

Set to become the largest building on UNC Hospitals Chapel Hill campus, the new 335,000-sf Surgical Tower will enhance UNC Health Care’s ability to provide surgical and medical care for Carolina residents.

The seven-story tower will feature 24 operating rooms, two hybrid operating rooms, 56 pre- and post-operating rooms, and two floors of ICU space with 56 beds. The building will also include a basement level, a main reception and visitor waiting areas on each floor, offices and conference rooms, an indoor and outdoor staff lounge, and staff locker rooms. 

Patient drop-off canopies at the Surgical Tower and the existing Children’s Hospital will also be built. Two overhead pedestrian bridges will connect existing parking decks and the Dental School building to the Surgical Tower. Finally, the project will include a three-story service connector, renovation work at the existing Ambulatory Patient Care Facility, and the expansion of the cafe in the existing part of the hospital.

The project, which is being built by Skanska, will be constructed in three phases. Phase one will include site development work and the new connector basement construction, phase two will focus on deep foundation construction, and phase three will focus on the main Surgical Tower building work.

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Phase one’s site development will include extensive utility relocations, an upgraded storm and sanitary system, new chilled water and steam for the tower and adjacent buildings, and new electrical duct bank from a future generator plant.

The project is slated for completion in 2022.