ALABAMA STATE EDITION
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72 Florence
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Huntsville
20 Decatur
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A Supplement to:
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Gadsden
78 59 Anniston
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Birmingham Bessemer
82 Tuscaloosa
65 280
20 82 Auburn
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Selma
Phenix City
Montgomery
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May 24 2017
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Vol. XXX • No. 11
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“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
Dothan
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Mobile
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Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
HealthSouth Corporation Makes a Comeback By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
Having rebounded from a financial crisis that once threatened the company’s future, officials with HealthSouth Corporation, Birmingham, Alabama, are celebrating a milestone in the construction of a new $75 million home office in Liberty Park. A topping out ceremony was held in April for the seven-story, 200,000 sq. ft. building, which will provide office space, covered parking, outdoor patios, walking trails and a gym. “Our company has been described as the ‘phoenix rising from the ashes’ on multiple occasions, and that is truly because of the company’s new chapter, which began in 2004 with a new leadership team,” said Lawrence Whatley, vice president of design and construction of HealthSouth. “While not a new chapter for the company per se, the home office is a much-needed move that will better accommodate our employees’ needs to support our steadily growing company.” HealthSouth, one of the nation’s largest health care services providers, was embroiled in a major accounting scandal in 2003. A corporate raid was conducted by the FBI, resulting in a $2.7 billion fraud trial. Founder and CEO Richard Scrushy was ultimately acquitted on all counts, but was later convicted of bribing former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman in a separate case, and was sent to federal prison. Scrushy was terminated by HealthSouth, as part of its recovery. As the corporation continues moving forward, executives are monitoring progress on the new building, which will be larger than the current headquarters in the Grandview Plaza on U.S. Highway 280. “The new home office provides work space for our 541 current home office employees, but will allow us to accommodate up to 660 employees,” said Whatley. “The site will accommodate future buildings, as well. Whatley said providing employees with a comfortable work environment to accomplish their jobs will increase morale in the workplace. “From analyzing current work spaces and listening to ways we can improve it, we were able to compile a list of needs for the new design,” said Whatley. “We also created employee-led committees who have helped us steer decisions for amenities such as the cafeteria, fitness center, desk chairs, interiors and branding implementation. The finished product will be a place our workforce will have a lot of pride in. The new home office is something our employees are excited about, as it’s been designed with them in mind.”
The new facility, situated on five of 20 total acres, will offer a 1/4 mile jogging track, fitness center and will incorporate energy saving technologies to reduce its environmental impact. It also formally recognizes HealthSouth CEO Jay Grinney, who believes keeping the corporate headquarters in Birmingham reaffirms HealthSouth’s commitment to the continued growth of the city and region. “Jay Grinney was instrumental in moving us forward, not only with the new home office, but also as a company during his tenure as chief executive officer,” said Whatley. “We’ve established ‘Jay Grinney Hall,’ in his honor.” Birmingham Mayor William Bell was among the officials on hand for the recent topping out event, where a tour of the first two floors of the new building was provided. “It was an exciting time to celebrate the halfway point for our new home office with those who have made this project possible,” said Whatley. “This includes the talented workforce at Brasfield & Gorrie, and the many subcontractors who have helped us stay on track for a spring 2018 opening.” James Decker, project manager of general contractor Brasfield & Gorrie, said the ceremony was a welcome break from the long hours crews are putting in to complete the assignment on time. “We’ve been working full-speed to meet the expectations of this project, so it’s gratifying to reach this milestone. Celebrating this accomplishment with a good meal and a shared spirit of camaraderie does a lot for the team’s morale.” Decker said the project has not been without its share of concerns. “We first had to locate and mitigate abandoned mine cavities below the ground surface. Also, the aggressive schedule for completion is challenging,” Decker said. Work began in June 2016 , with the building set to open its doors next year. Currently, crews are completing the concrete structure, interior metal framing and interior MEP rough-in. “This work will be followed by installation of the exterior envelope. So far, the site work has proceeded very well. This includes deep foundations and the concrete structure. In addition, the precast parking deck is almost finished.” Key tasks yet to be carried out include work on the exterior skin, consisting of precast panels, curtain wall and roof, plus interior drywall/finishes. Decker noted that the weather conditions have been challenging, but not extraordinary. “We’ve planned for some minor impacts due to the time of year; however, we remain on course for successful comsee HEALTHSOUTH page 6
A topping out ceremony was held in April for the seven-story, 200,000-sq. ft. building.