Sweden-based developer and contractor Skanska has won a $435 million contract to construct a new hospital and medical office building for Lee Health, the builder announced Oct. 29.
The Fort Myers, Florida, project will include construction of a roughly 416,000-square-foot, five-story hospital and a 125,000-square-foot medical office building with an ambulatory surgery center.
The project scope includes a central energy plant, a rehabilitation gymnasium and specialty clinics, Skanska said. All told, the center will encompass 560,00 square feet of healthcare services, per the release. The hospital and medical office building will each feature 10 operating rooms, up to 168 patient rooms and 44 emergency department beds, Lee Health spokesperson Jaclyn Bevis told Construction Dive
Utility construction has begun, and the project is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2027. The contract will be included in Skanska’s order bookings for Q4 2024.
The board for the public hospital system in Lee County, Florida, voted to approve a price tag of no more than $434,750,596 on Oct. 24, the News-Press reported, though that final cost could change based on a board vote in January.
The hospital will replace the aging 414-bed Lee Memorial Hospital, which will remain operational through 2027, according to the News-Press. Lee Memorial has 1,600 employees, but it’s not yet clear how many will move to the new campus or other Lee Health facilities.