Construction Complete on Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital Parking Structure and Life-Saving Helipad

The new parking structure will significantly improve parking conditions for hospital patients, visitors and staff, said Roger E. Seaver, president and CEO of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. The return of the helipad will allow Henry Mayo to retain its designation as the only trauma center in the Santa Clarita Valley and will provide immediate and life-saving air transport to patients suffering traumatic injuries or illness thereby giving the best possible chance for survival and recovery.

McCarthy served as general contractor and SHP Project Development was the construction manager for the 244,135-square-foot structure, which opened on May 2, 2011. The helipad is planned to open this month after inspection and approval from CalTrans. The six level parking structure with one subterranean level, was constructed with post-tensioned, cast-in-place concrete decks and shear walls. One of the parking structures three elevators was built to serve as a trauma elevator for the rooftop helipad. This temporary location for the helipad will service the existing trauma center until the permanent helipad is constructed as part of the new patient tower.

Designed by Irvine-based Choate Parking Consultants, the parking structure includes extensive landscape with more than 600 shrubs and plants, and 50 crape myrtle, sycamore and pine trees. Other features include pathways for pedestrians, landscaping and an architectural design, which complements the surrounding buildings and community aesthetics.

Construction of the new parking structure within a heavily trafficked area on an operational hospital campus offered logistical challenges, said McCarthy Project Manager Bill Gray. McCarthy used temporary road closures and barricades to allow activity to continue on the three surrounding sides and major thoroughfare. McCarthy also mitigated the impact of construction by scheduling construction deliveries during non-peak traffic hours, coordinating construction traffic operations with hospital facilities personnel and governing agencies, and scheduling offsite work that required lane closures at night.

About McCarthy

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has been one of the nations leading parking structure builders since the advent of the modern parking structure in the 1960s. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Dallas and Atlanta. McCarthy is a 100 percent employee owned institutional and commercial construction company.