Calspan Development & Construction leads building of new Ross Eye Institute eye care practice

BY KELSEY JAMES

Calspan Development & Construction and the Ross Eye Institute celebrated the opening of a new state-ofthe-art facility in Orchard Park on Jan. 17, 2023.

Through patient-focused care, innovation and technology, the campus will provide a one-of-a-kind patient experience with easy access to the full spectrum of eye care in one location.

Calspan Development & Construction broke ground on the project in April 2022 after being approached by the Ross Eye Institute to lead to construction of the new facility, said Calspan vice-president of facilities and construction, Steve Federico.

“Partnering with an organization like Ross Eye Institute is what we strive to do,” Federico added. “They’re a great business that serves the community, so we were delighted when they came to us to help fulfill their real estate needs.”

The Ross Eye Institute is part of the UBMD family and currently has 25 experts practicing in three Erie County locations. The organization also provides eye trauma care at partnering level one adult and child trauma centers at ECMC and Oishei Children’s Hospital. The Ross Eye Institute maintains research laboratories at U.B. and the V.A. Hospital. Visit www.rosseye.com for more information.

The new facility, which was completed in November 2022, is located in the Sterling Business Park in Orchard Park, N.Y. It replaced the Ross Eye Institute’s old facility, located in the same business park, and allowed the company to expand their practice to better meet the needs of the customers in the Southtowns and Southern tier.

The one storey, 18,000 square foot building is equipped with an imaging suite, procedure room and pediatric and optometry wings. The total project cost of $9 million was financed through Community Bank.

Calspan Development & Construction has experience building various unique and complex facilities. Calspan has the knowledge and expertise to deliver cost-effective financing and turn-key construction of buildings from start to finish. Calspan’s approach enables its customers to own their buildings when the project is complete. Learn more at www.calspanbuilds.com.

Although the new building is not LEED certified, Calspan Development & Construction implemented several sustainable features throughout the space, including LED lighting, energy efficient HVAC equipment and finishing materials with a high percentage of recycled content.

“Our goal was to double the size of the facility for the Ross Eye Institute while maintaining budget and creating a facility that was pleasant for their customers,” Federico said, adding the adding high ceilings, open concept space and inviting colors make the new building “very patient friendly.”

The new facility is not the first medi- cal campus Calspan Development & Construction has built. The company previously worked on Excelsior Orthopedics’ campus in Amherst, Western New York Dermatology’s campus in Williamsville and, most recently, an orthopaedic surgery center in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Calspan Development & Construction was construction manager of the project. Silvestri Architects was the architecture firm. u