Construction of the Huron Gastroenterology Center for Digestive Care at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital's campus in Superior Township, near Ypsilanti, is under way. Golfside Holdings is the owner of the facility. The 28,000-square-foot facility will be a single-story steel structure. The facility will include construction of a 10,000-square-foot endoscopy center, plus office and support space for Huron Gastroenterology Associates. The building will be a steel structure with metal stud, drywall, brick veneer, and limestone trim. Construction began in January and it will be completed in October. Skanska USA Building Inc. — Michigan Division is the construction management firm for the project.

The building will be a stand-alone facility. The facility will feature an atrium with a skylight above, two operating rooms, 12 recovery rooms, a physician's lounge, a staff lounge, nine pre-operating rooms, and one waiting room.

The facility will also feature 12 examination rooms, space for medical assistants, physicians' offices, file rooms, a medical library, and a conference room. The building will feature a wood and glass reception counter with fairly elaborate millwork.

"It will be connected to the existing hospital by a below-grade mechanical tunnel and a connecting corridor at grade level. The mechanical tunnel will provide the chilled water, steam pipe condensate lines and emergency backup power. The hospital system will be extended into the new building through this mechanical tunnel," Scott Frey, project superintendent for Skanska USA Building Inc., said.

Frey said that Skanska needed to provide a new access route from the existing parking lot to the entrance to the existing Michigan Orthopedic Building. The first activity Skanska performed was to construct a new sidewalk and a new entrance for the Michigan Orthopedic Building. The new building is being built on part of a previously used parking lot. The new building includes permanent access from an enlarged parking area.

Subcontractors on the project include Sunset Excavating, of Livonia (earthwork and site utilities); Nagle Paving, of Farmington Hills (asphalt and site concrete); R.L. Shekell, Inc., of Livonia (foundations and flatwork): Baker Construction, of Whitmore Lake (masonry); Utica Steel, of Utica (steel fabrication and erection); and Denn-Co, of Shelby Township (carpentry, metal studs and drywall).

Additional subcontractors include: Royal West Roofing; Western Waterproofing, of Livonia; Margolis Landscaping; Edwards Glass, of Livonia (skylight, windows and curtain walls); Decorative Flooring Services, of Maumee, Ohio; Boston Tile, of Detroit; Detroit Spectrum, of Warren (painting and wall coverings); O'Hara Corporation, of Mt. Clemens (plumbing); John E. Green, of Ann Arbor (heating ventilation and air conditioning); Detroit Sprinkler, Fire Protection; and A.F. Smith, of Ypsilanti (electrical and fire alarm).