Construction workers for Skanska Construction began tearing down three buildings along Nutt Road as the expansion of the Phoenixville Hospital started Monday morning.

The old Puleo Real Estate building at 114 Nutt Road, the former office of Gerald Ginsberg, DDS at 120 Nutt Road, and the former "A Cut Above" at 122 Nutt Road are the first of several demolitions that'll be taking place during the month of April, said Steve Tullman, CEO, Phoenixville Hospital.

"There is a general schedule of things that are going on now - subject to change of course," said Tullman. "There are no delays from our end. We got the fencing up around the buildings and they were being knocked down this week.

"Once they are down, we'll create a crushed stone parking lot, which we expect to be open two weeks from now. Later this summer, we'll asphalt it to make it smooth. We'll be picking up more parking because we'll lose some during the construction phase, so any parking we pick up is essential."

Further demolition scheduled will include two houses along Gay Street - 801 and 809 Gay St. to be exact.

"Those houses will be coming down next week," said Tullman. "It will go from being a staging area during construction, to a parking lot for the emergency room."

The demolition is being done by Skanska Construction, an international construction firm from Blue Bell, and the project manager is Chris Gilbert of Phoenixville.

Two other buildings along Gay Street - 817 Gay St. - will remain residential, while the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation will be moving into 825 Gay St.

Tullman said the houses along Griffen Street on the hospital side of the roadway - 215, 219, 223, 229, 235 and 239 Griffen St. - will be coming down towards the end of this month.

"Fencing will be going up shortly and will stay up until the construction is complete," he said. "That will be the area for the new parking garage."

An official groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, April 19, 2007, on the hospital grounds.

Since Community Health Systems (CHS) purchased the Phoenixville Hospital in 2004, plans have been underway for the future expansion of the facility.

The process began back in March 2005, when the master plan for expansion was first presented at a borough planning commission workshop by Tom Testerman, META Associates.

The expansion plan includes a future medical office building; a three-level parking garage, which would give the hospital 1,038 total spaces; emergency room improvements; surgery expansion; diagnostic imaging/cath lab expansion; women's services expansion; all private patient rooms and ancillary/support services; central mechanical plant to be replaced; upgrades in the public entry and facade appearance; and a new bed tower that would increase beds from 143 to 153.

Robert D. Lynn Associates (RDLA), of Philadelphia, will be the architectural firm for the expansion. Rodney Wilson, president, Hart Freeland Roberts Inc. and lead engineer for the hospital plan, will be staying on as the civil engineer.

Three vital components of the expansion, said Tullman, are tentatively on schedule.
"The parking garage will be complete by April 2008," he said. "That is our target date for that. Then the new medical office building should be finished by July 2008 and the patient tower could be seeing patients by April 2009."

With all of the impending changes beginning around him, Tullman said he's excited for all of the employees and patients of the hospital.

"It's exciting that the day is almost here for the hospital's long-awaited expansion," he said. "I'm happy for the staff, the employees, the physicians and future patients of the hospital, as they'll benefit from these improvements."