Project updates

In construction projects, the steel topping-off ceremony is a celebration marking the end of structural steel framing. At Strong Memorial Hospital, it’s a milestone for the hospital’s biggest expansion and modernization in the last 100 years.

The last steel beam will be raised into place on September 22 but before then, employees were invited to stop by and sign the beam as a fun chance to come together and be part of progress.

Many staff lined up to do just that. One of them was Emergency Department staffer Danny Pasquarella, who has worked in the ED for 13 years.

“This has been home to me and this is a great thing that’s happening,” Pasquarella said. “When we expand, it’s going to be wonderful for the community and our department. I’m excited for it to open as soon as it can.”

Kathy Parrinello, president and CEO of Strong and Highland Hospitals, also stopped by to sign the beam.

“It’s meaningful and special because this is a huge milestone,” Parrinello said. “In less than two years we’ll be moving into the new tower and it is so exciting. Everyone knows how badly we need this for our patients and the community and it is fabulous to be at this point.”

See a few photos from the signing on the URMC LinkedIn page.

Where are we now?

To illustrate where we are in the project, you might compare a building to a human body: It has a steel skeleton to give it a shape, and concrete on more than half the floors.

A body needs a heart, brain, and a circulatory system to give it life. The construction team has started the “heart” of the building on the fourth floor (rendering shown at left), where heavy mechanical equipment will be centrally located. Mechanical and electrical infrastructure are gradually being installed throughout the space.

The building even has a digestive system. Just like a person needs to be fed, the building has concrete beginnings of a loading dock where deliveries will go in (and waste removed) in the final building.

On September 8, crews set bridge connections on the three levels above the ground floor. This is significant because the links show a visible connection of the current building to the future tower.

It was a productive summer on the worksite after a very rainy spring. On the horizon are tasks like plumbing connections and getting temporary heat set up for the winter months as work continues. This month, a fuel fill station is being installed at the generator building near Eastman Dental.

While all this is underway, our Operational Readiness team is launching meetings with clinical and other departmental teams to prepare for the logistics of moving into new space.

—September 16, 2025