AVH Master Plan - Progress Report

December 2011 Progress

The erection of steel in December 2011 delineates the outer walls of the expansion, specifically the Patient Care Unit. The view down-valley from what will become the Patient Care Unit.

Fall 2011 Progress

The underground parking structure is now easily identified. Structural steel that will form the expansion of the patient care unit was placed in the Fall of 2011.

Parking Garage

Construction of the parking garage site work is in its beginning phases in March 2011. With each week, the parking garage site gets deeper. And deeper . . . This is as low as the parking garage needs to go. The elevator pad is placed in Summer 2011. The elevator shaft and garage walls take form in the Fall 2011.

Night Work at AVH

Starting late afternoon on Thursday, July 14, Aspen Valley Hospital will begin to prepare for the eventual installation of a new boiler. The project requires structural work on the roof in the northwest corner of the building and will take 24 continuous hours to complete. Those in proximity of the hospital can expect some noise through the night, as well as exterior lighting.

"We will do our best to mitigate the impacts during the night, but we know we won’t be able to eliminate all noise and light," says Frank Goldsmith, community liaison for the hospital master facilities plan construction project. "We are communicating with neighbors, hopefully to prevent any surprises and to assure them that it won’t last long."

The hospital won't experience any interruption in services, but the engineering department will implement back-up plans for power and the HVAC (heating, ventiliation, air conditioning) system during the night.

Goldsmith is available for questions about the boiler prep work, or any other aspect of the hospital’s master facilities plan, at FGoldsmith@aspenhospital.org.

Castle Creek Road Work May Cause Delays

This Friday and Saturday, those driving Castle Creek Road may experience traffic delays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Paving of a new deceleration lane into the Pitkin County Senior Center/Whitcomb Terrace will be occurring.

At the same time, a new entrance to the Senior Center/Whitcomb Terrace will be created slightly north of the existing entrance. The new entrance enables a second separate entrance to be used for Aspen Valley Hospital’s construction traffic and will not impact users of the senior facilities.

Finally, the bike path in the vicinity was recently relocated adjacent to the original path and close to Castle Creek Road. It is fully paved, but temporary. In early October, the path will be moved back toward the original path and away from Castle Creek Road.

Frank Goldsmith is the community liaison for the hospital’s construction project. For information, questions, or concerns, Goldsmith can be reached at FGoldsmith@aspenhospital.org.

Bike Path Detour

Ongoing work on an Aspen Valley Hospital sewer line will impact the bike path near Whitcomb Terrace and the Pitkin County Senior Center again next week. The work will necessitate a detour from the path. Road base (rather than asphalt or concrete) will be used for the alternate path. The detour will be in place for as long as three weeks.

"Cyclists need to be especially cautious along that stretch of the Castle Creek Road bike path," said Frank Goldsmith, community liaison for AVH's construction project. "Because of the path's proximity to the construction site, disruptions and detours will be unavoidable periodically throughout the duration of the project."

Goldsmith can be contacted for information about the hospital’s master facilities plan, questions, or concerns at FGoldsmith@aspenhospital.org.

Castle Creek Road Delays

Work on a sewer line near the hospital campus will require the periodic closure of one lane of Castle Creek Road next Tuesday (5/24) through Friday (5/27). The work takes place toward the north end of the road, near Meadowood Drive, and adjacent to the bike path.

Delays are expected to last 3 – 5 minutes depending on the time of day and volume of traffic. Emergency vehicles will not experience delays, and RFTA buses will be given priority in order to stay on schedule. Bike path usage will not be affected.

Much of the campus has been impacted by excavation and earth-moving in the last few months for the construction of the parking garage and expansion of Phase II of the building adjacent to the existing hospital. Preparation for drainage work, storm-water detention, and future landscaping is occurring on the middle to lower (north) part of the campus. In addition, a temporary new entrance to the Pitkin County Senior Center/Whitcomb Terrace (slightly north of the existing one) is being created.

"There is a lot of activity in the meadow on the lower end of the campus right now due to extensive excavation and infrastructure work," said Frank Goldsmith, community liaison for the project. "However, the actual building and parking structure will be on the upper part of the campus, with affordable housing near the Senior Center/Whitcomb Terrace."

Goldsmith can be contacted for information about the project, questions, or concerns at FGoldsmith@aspenhospital.org.

Bike Path Diversion on Castle Creek Road

Next week users of the Castle Creek Road bike path between Whitcomb Terrace and Meadowood Drive will be diverted to a temporary trail parallel to the existing path. The installation of a water line over the course of four days is the cause for the diversion. Cyclists especially should use caution as the 75 foot long temporary trail will be covered with road base rather than asphalt. Upon completion of the water line, the trail will reopen at its original location, at least for a while.

Since the beginning of the year, the hospital project has focused on site work for the service loop road, a retention "pond" for snow and other run- off, and preparation for the construction of a parking garage. For information about the project, questions, or concerns contact FGoldsmith@aspenhospital.org.

On Monday, March 7, a crane will be placed on the Aspen Valley Hospital campus. Site work for Phase II of the hospital’s master facilities plan began earlier this year. Opaque fencing has been placed around the construction site, and large straw bales block views of the site from inpatients, as well as provide noise insulation. The crane, however, will be the first significant sign of construction, and it will take approximately four days to install.

Extending 150 feet in the air, the crane will be visible from a distance. Powered by electricity, it will not generate an audible sound. A rotating light at the top of the crane is required by the FAA for safety reasons.

The crane will be located on the northeast side of the building and will be used for snow removal, to move materials from one location to another, and to lift heavy objects such as beams. Use of the crane minimizes the need for other heavy equipment like dump trucks and forklifts, both of which contribute to noise and air pollution.

Questions about the crane or other aspects of construction should be directed to Frank Goldsmith at 309-8809 or FGoldsmith@aspenhospital.org.

• Expansion and relocation of physical therapy and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation
• Adjacency of same-day surgery with other surgical functions
• Zoning designed to segregate inpatients from outpatients and eliminate "cross-traffic" of patients, the general public, and staff
• Enhanced privacy and comfort with private rooms for all inpatients
• Additional inpatient rooms to address the healthcare needs of an aging population over the long term (decades)
• Leasable medical office space (at fair market prices)
• Increased parking capacity utilizing campus topography to minimize the visual impact of a covered parking structure and maximize parking capabilities and patient access
• 22 affordable housing units (18 on campus)
• Reconfiguration of pedestrian, private vehicle, ambulance, bus, and delivery traffic for increased safety