Sight + Sound, Spring 2020
by Craig Smith
Construction on the state-of-the-art UPMC Vision and Rehabilitation Tower in the Uptown neighborhood of Pittsburgh starting to take shape.
Located on the campus of UPMC Mercy, the nine-story tower is slated to open in late 2022. Once open, the facility will feature 410,000 square feet of collaborative space for clinicians, researchers, educators, and industry partners to work together to solve ophthalmic and rehabilitative health problems. The first of three new UPMC specialty hospitals being built, the tower will also act as a new community partner to the Uptown neighborhood, incorporating the area into an innovative vision rehabilitation experience while providing jobs and job training to local residents.
A year into construction, after a few setbacks, construction crews have begun to pour concrete for foundation walls and footings, giving onlookers an initial idea of the footprint the new building will have on the neighborhood. Elevator shear walls, an electrical vault, and an underground conduit have also begun to be constructed, the important first steps in creating the inner workings of such an enormous facility. The recent appearance of multiple cranes has also made Pittsburgh residents aware that we are making progress on an exciting project that will help transform Pittsburgh into the leading city in the world for vision care.