Dear Community Members,

 

 

As you have seen, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital has made significant progress externally on the construction of the Medical/Surgical Pavilion with the installation of grass, trees, and walkway lights in the space along Reservoir Road and on campus between the pavilion and Darnell Hall.

 

We are excited to announce that we are working toward a pavilion activation date of Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023 when we will begin seeing patients in the new Emergency Department, followed by performing surgeries in the state of the art operating rooms Monday, Dec. 11. We anticipate all moves, including transferring inpatient units to the pavilion, to be complete by Tuesday, Dec. 12.    

 

Over the next several months, MedStar Georgetown will conduct multiple activities to prepare for activating the pavilion, including: addressing final construction “punch list” items inside the building, conducting staff orientation and training to ensure patient safety and workflow efficiency, and preparing for regulatory inspections. 

 

As we look forward to activating the Pavilion, we are deeply grateful to entrepreneur, venture capital investor, and philanthropist Grant Verstandig, and the Verstandig Family Foundation, who generously provided a historic $50 million philanthropic gift to the pavilion project – which was announced in 2021.  In recognition of this transformational gift, the building has been named the Verstandig Pavilion. 

 

Following are additional updates on construction of the Verstandig Pavilion and other Georgetown University campus construction projects.

 

 

As construction of the Medical/Surgical Pavilion at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital continues, please note that, on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, MedStar Georgetown will open Entrance 1 to pedestrian traffic only – no unauthorized vehicular traffic is allowed until further notice. 

 

Entrance 1 is the entrance off Reservoir Road that leads directly to the pavilion. Roadside signage indicating Entrance 1 will be installed in the coming months.

 

To ensure personal safety, all pedestrians must use the sidewalks and crosswalks, and not walk in the roadway at Entrance 1 or the roadway around the pavilion. Pedestrians must follow the sidewalk and signage that leads them between Entrance 1 and Darnall Hall and follow the direction of any construction personnel during times of active construction work.

 

Pedestrian access remains closed at the south end of the pavilion, near the Leavey Center. Pedestrians are prohibited from entering/exiting through that area until further notice.

 

Thank you for your cooperation as we work toward opening the pavilion later this year.

 

 

·       Above-Ground Structure: The installation of the building is complete with only some work at the main entrance canopy remaining.

·       Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing: Final inspections and final commissioning are nearing completion.

·       Green Space: Work to install the permanent site paving and landscaping of the majority of the green space is nearing completion. Installation of the final site work along the Georgetown University side of the north end of the site (adjacent to St. Mary’s Hall) is in progress and will continue through the fall. Work along Reservoir Road is complete.

 

 

·       Emergency Department / Operating Rooms / Inpatient Rooms: The interior construction of the clinical areas is nearly complete and staff training is starting.

·       Lobby Area: Work is nearly complete.

·       Parking Garage: Work is nearly complete.

·       Loading Dock: Work is nearly complete and transitioning to hospital activities.

 

 

 

Demolition of the current Henle Village continues with periodic traffic, delivery and noise impacts:

·         Tondorf Road will be blocked to all vehicle traffic north of the Leavey Garage entrance. Only construction vehicles, Reiss loading dock vehicles and pedestrians will be allowed entry;

·         Deliveries to Darnall loading dock will use the vehicle access adjacent to the Medical/Surgical Pavilion via West Road;

·         Construction related deliveries and outbound traffic will use the Canal Road entrance.

The demolition phase is expected to continue through September 2023, with the entire project expected to conclude in August 2025.

 

Critical underground infrastructure supporting Georgetown University’s central heating and cooling plant is being replaced, which will require the excavation of a section of West Road between the plant and Cooper Field. Both lanes of this section of West Road will be closed from Tuesday, Sept. 5, through Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. 

·         The section of West Road north of the John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center and south of Yates Field House will be closed to vehicular traffic.

·         The eastern sidewalk along West Road next to Cooper Field will be open to pedestrians.

·         The western sidewalk next to the heating and cooling plant will be closed during this period.

 

The 477,000 square foot Medical/Surgical Pavilion will house 156 private patient rooms, a new Emergency Department, 31 operating rooms, a rooftop helipad with direct access to the Emergency Room, and three levels of underground parking. The proposed plan more than doubles the existing green space, providing for open, attractive landscaping that offers the immediate community an appealing and charming landscape. 

 

As a long-standing member of the community, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital takes great pride in being a good neighbor and minimizing disruptions during construction of the Medical/Surgical Pavilion. We appreciate your patience as we construct a world class facility that will provide the community with enhanced access to the world class care we currently provide.

 

Best Regards,

Regina Knox Woods

Vice President, Government Affairs for the District of Columbia at MedStar Health