Moffitt Hosts Topping Out Ceremony For New McKinley Campus

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Mayor Jane Castor joined Moffitt Cancer Center leaders for a topping out ceremony of the new hospital currently under construction on its McKinley East campus.

The ceremony signifies an important milestone: The internal framework of the structure has been completed and work can now begin on the inside of the building.

About 100 guests gathered to watch the hoisting of the final beams, which were decorated with signatures and messages of hope and blessings for the new hospital.

An American flag joined the two beams as they were hoisted to the top of the structure.

Moffitt already serves patients from 130 countries, all 50 states and every county in Florida.

However, over the next 10 years, Moffitt anticipates a 65 percent increase in patient volumes and a 33 percent increase in cancer surgeries.

“By expanding this access to world-class care, we’re opening new doors for Moffitt and giving more patients a chance to have greater outcomes that we know we can give them,” said Moffitt President and CEO Dr. Patrick Hwu. “We’re going to save lives here by increasing access to preventive services, treatment and research. This is a huge moment in the history of medicine and cancer care.”

The new 10-story, 498,000-square-foot facility is located on more than 20 acres across from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Outpatient Center at 10920 N. McKinley Drive, Tampa.

Starting with 128 inpatient beds, it will have the capacity to expand to 400. The new hospital will feature 19 operating rooms, 72 perioperative rooms, three MRI scanners, three CT scanners and two nuclear cameras.

The cancer center is also making history by focusing on hiring minority, women, veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned business enterprises.

Moffitt is committed to a supplier diversity goal of 15 percent over the span of this project, or $52 million. As of May, more than 60 percent of that goal has been met and will likely exceed projections. Nearly $10 million in contracts have been awarded to veteran-owned businesses, while more than $9 million will be spent with women-owned vendors and more than $5 million with African American-owned businesses.

Moffitt’s construction partners Barr & Barr Inc. and Horus Construction Services Inc. have begun mentorship programs by guiding small, diverse businesses throughout the contracting and construction processes. On-site construction tours focused on increasing women and minority representation in the construction industry have been ongoing.

Throughout the construction, more than 5,500 people will work on the project, creating a local economic impact of $120 million in salaries. Roughly 52 percent of those workers call Hillsborough County home.

The remaining live in nearby Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties.

Moffitt’s expansion could not be possible without the enduring support from the city of Tampa and its mayor.

“Moffitt is the jewel in the crown in cancer treatment and research,” said Castor. “We are so very fortunate to have Moffitt here in Tampa Bay. To see the expansion and 35 years of growth is wonderful not only for our community, but cancer research and treatment worldwide.”

Also joining the ceremony were members of Moffitt’s Patient and Family Advisory Council. The council has had an integral part in planning the new facility since the beginning stages.

“We know that warm welcoming environments help our patients heal, physically and emotionally,” said Jane Fusilero, Moffitt’s chief nursing officer. “That’s why we asked our patients to help us in the design of this building.”

The council has improved Moffitt’s patient experience throughout all stages of expansion, including the cancer center’s recently opened Wesley Chapel satellite location.

Recommendations from the council have included state-of-the-art technologies that few other hospitals offer, in addition to simple conveniences of home like the patients' ability to control the thermostat of their own rooms, pull-out couches for visitors and in-room showers for their families.

The hospital site includes a nearly finished central utility plant of approximately 26,000 square feet and a completed three-story parking garage. Also included in the plans is a connecting bridge over McKinley Drive that will link the new structure with the outpatient center.

In addition to Barr & Barr and Horus Construction Services, Moffitt has partnered with Hammes Company and HDR Inc. The new hospital is scheduled to open in July 2023.

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