CREJ

Page 14 — Health Care & Senior Housing Quarterly — April 2021 www.crej.com HEALTH CARE — PROJECT SPOTLIGHT the mechanical system was selected in the morning parking lot huddle before heading into the building so the air handlers could be immediately ordered. After the initial facility assessment and existing conditions documenta- tion was completed, the team began the design phase. The design evolved quickly through huddles and dialogue with the client multiple times each day to obtain continuous feedback critical to complete the construction docu- ments within the assessment period. n Budget and the evolving design. Completing the revitalization of a vacant hospital bed tower with 100% negative-pressure isolation rooms for 120 beds and all the necessary support space in just four weeks was no small task. Portions of the design continu- ally developed through construction as unfavorable existing conditions were uncovered or evolving virus response requirements came from the state. The budget included funding to dismantle the alternate care facility and return it to its original state once the need had passed. This posed the challenge to provide isolation rooms while mini- mizing destructive measures to allow the facility to be restored with mini- mum effort. n Meeting the demanding construc- tion schedule. To meet the demands of the schedule, the construction trade partners worked 12-hour shifts. Sev- eral trade partners even worked 24 hours for several days to meet critical sequencing deadlines. The design team was on call around the clock, including weekends, to help with solutions as challenges arose. The daily huddles with the entire team continued during the construc- tion phase. Additionally, an owner/ architect/contractor meeting was held at the end of each day to review prog- ress, schedule and design, and con- firm submittal approvals for critical path items. Inspectors from the Col- orado Division of Fire Protection and Control were on site daily and avail- able to make timely determinations on plan changes and inspect work as it was occurring. This greatly elimi- nated lag time in the plan approval and inspection process. Working during a pandemic cre- ated its own challenges. Meetings were held at the job site in a “big room” environment with a virtual call in for the client and off-site team members. Social distancing and personal protective equipment were employed at all times, and all staff and visitors on site went through a daily screening process prior to entering the facility. The main hospital located in the west tower remained fully operational. A dedicated entry and circulation path at the basement level was utilized to isolate construction staff and mate- rial deliveries from the hospital staff and general public. By its nature, it was hoped that this alternate care facility would never be needed but would be there as a public safety measure. This project was a tough yet refreshing explora- tion of a collaborative project delivery method in which all stakeholders worked together to achieve an impor- tant community health goal within a rapid time frame rarely seen during a “typical” health care project. Commu- nication, teamwork and humility led the team through a demanding proj- ect with unique schedule and budget challenges to meet this unprecedent- ed COVID-19 challenge. s paul@rtaarchitects.com Continued from Page 1 created opportunity for innovative virtual events. Newly developed buildings that typically would com- mand a grand open house for bro- kers and prospects alike have been held digitally with virtual walk- throughs presented via videoconfer- ence and creative swag gifts now sent by mail. In many cases, these virtual events have attracted more attendance than in-person events did prepandemic. Moving into a post-pandemic environment, virtual events should continue alongside targeted in-person events to provide the utmost opportunity for outreach. n A tenant’s market. The health care real estate market remains healthy and is likely to continue that way. But this does not mean that it is a landlord’s market. There are more real estate options for health care users than ever, and the hard- pressed office and retail owners, along with developers, are offering aggressive economics to entice the recession-resistant health care user over to their assets. According to CBRE research, the average asking lease rate for medi- cal office space held strong in 2020 at $29.11 per square foot, but health care building owners and develop- ers need to be prepared to provide robust tenant improvement allow- ances and creative concessions to gain new leasing. Those in the health care real estate industry who remained transparent and flexible through the pandemic will have better retention and results moving forward. Transparency builds trust, so owners should not be afraid to be candid with tenants. What- ever the goal, it needs to be properly communicated. In a time when we all yearn for stability, the more we can communicate, the better. Even now, when most adults are eligible to be vaccinated and the world seemingly looks more posi- tive than it has in some time, none of us knows what lies ahead. Own- ers should continue to check in with their tenants and stay close to prospects. Their needs will continue to shift, and the industry must be ready to evolve with those changes. As we make it to the other side, our business models will look dif- ferent than before the pandemic started. We’ve seen countless ways businesses have pivoted during the pandemic, with high-end fash- ion designers manufacturing face masks, breweries and liquor dis- tilleries making hand sanitizer and restaurants selling key pantry essen- tials that were hard to come by in 2020. In so many cases, all involved in the health care real estate indus- try already have what tenants need, now they just need to find a way to make it operational and marketable in the post-pandemic environment. s stephani.gaskins@cbre.com Gaskins Continued from Page 4