March 2, 2001

Ambulatory building plans expand

Plans for the hospital's new ambulatory building recently were expanded, adding a 140,000 square-foot wing for the outpatient services of the MGH Cancer Center. The additional section will extend the new ambulatory building — slated for construction on the site of the Charles Street Jail — further toward Cambridge Street. The new cancer facility will enable the hospital to consolidate and expand its multidisciplinary cancer services, and to accommodate the rapidly growing demand for outpatient cancer care. Cancer services currently are located in the Cox and Blake buildings as well as other locations across campus. In addition, the new building will create space for the cardiovascular program, the musculoskeletal program, women's health and the MassGeneral Hospital for Children.

The expanded plans bring total space in the new ambulatory facility to 600,000 square feet, of which approximately 380,000 square feet will be built during the first phase of a two-phase process. The first part will involve construction of a section of the building above the Northeast Proton Therapy Center. The building will step down in height as it runs along the Fruit Street Garage and approaches Cambridge Street.

Phase 1 will begin with the removal of the east wing of the jail, scheduled for this spring, and the construction of a seven-level underground garage with approximately 725 spaces, scheduled for summer and fall. Work on the first part of the ambulatory building is expected to begin in the fall of 2001 and to be completed in late 2004.

The second phase of the project will begin with the removal of the VBK and Clinics buildings in mid-2004. An additional 220,000 square feet will be constructed on the site currently occupied by these facilities.

Construction of the second phase is expected to last until 2006. The phase 2 ambulatory building will house outpatient surgery and expanded radiology services. Phase 2 also will allow for a separate covered ambulance entrance to the Emergency Department.

The total cost of the building is slightly more than $300 million, with approximately one-third of the cost dependent upon fundraising efforts. The architectural team for the project is Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc., a local firm, in collaboration with Michael Fieldman of New York.

"The MGH desperately needs space for its growing ambulatory services," says Michael Jellinek, MD, MGH senior vice president for Administration. "The hospital's outpatient facilities now are filled well beyond capacity. Waits for appointments are too long, especially in some of the specialty practices. We want to make outpatient visits more accessible and convenient for patients and families."

The hospital also has been working with developer Carpenter & Company to renovate the Charles Street Jail into a 300-room hotel with meeting rooms, restaurants and a health club. The MGH acquired the jail in 1991 as part of a transaction that involved selling land on Nashua Street to the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The five-story granite jail, which was built in 1851, is listed on the national and state Registers of Historic Places. One of the primary goals in developing the site is to preserve the historical and architectural integrity of the jail building. Carpenter & Company plans to enhance the appearance of the jail by eliminating the wall around the perimeter and adding landscaping and lighting. A slate roof and a cupola over the central rotunda also will be reinstalled.

The MGH and Carpenter & Company currently are informing the various constituencies about the plans for the development of the jail site and obtaining the permits needed for construction.

The redevelopment of the Charles Street Jail site will be closely coordinated with the $25 million renovation of the MGH/Charles MBTA station, which is scheduled to begin in summer 2002. The MGH has committed $2.5 million to the T station renovation project.

"When completed, these three projects — the ambulatory building, the hotel and the renovated T station — will create an attractive and welcoming gateway to the city of Boston," says James J. Mongan, MD, MGH president. "These projects are revitalizing a section of the city that has long needed attention. It is exciting to be part of a public-private partnership that will benefit the hospital's patients, staff and visitors, the community, the city and the region in so many important ways."