PHOENIX (Feb. 29, 2012) – Kitchell is proud to announce the completion of construction of The Sonntag Academic Pavilion at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center.
The new Sonntag Academic Pavilion is one in a long line of Kitchell projects for St. Joseph’s, a relationship that began in 2002, encompasses nearly $150 million worth of work and includes construction of the 438,000 square-foot Barrow Patient Care Tower, housing for a CyberKnife, MRI and CVOR renovations, renovation of a children’s rehab unit and dozens of ancillary projects.
The new 3,000 square-foot building, designed by Phoenix-based Orcutt I Winslow architects, is named for neurosurgeon Volker K.H Sonntag, MD, who was most recently director of the world-renowned Barrow Neurosurgery Program. He has written 500 professional articles, co-edited six major textbooks, authored more than 90 textbook chapters, and made 900 presentations throughout the world during his 32-year career.
The pavilion will be formally opened by Dr. Sonntag and other Barrow leaders in April as part of this year’s 50th anniversary celebration at Barrow.
“This project highlights the importance of the academic mission at Barrow – to raise the bar of knowledge in the neurosciences – a commitment that Dr. Sonntag lived his entire career. The team that came together to build the facility worked tirelessly to ensure the project was completed on time and under budget. Everything went smooth as silk!” said Vice President of Barrow Neurological Institute Phil Pomeroy.
Pomeroy’s comment underscores the tight timeframe and unique challenges of the job, which included staging construction in a very active courtyard off of a main thoroughfare in between two busy hospital entryways. Kitchell constructed this highly technical building within seven months without disturbing the sensitive imaging processes or obstructing patients, visitors and hospital staff. Its strategy included building a gradual rise (to address elevation changes and steps) 40 by 20-foot tunnel from the sidewalk off Third Avenue under a breezeway to transport equipment (including a 90-ton boring machine) and provide site access for job site workers, which at the height of construction numbered more than 40.