DPR Construction, Inc., with Texas offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, has been awarded two hospital construction projects for St. David's HealthCare Partnership (St. David's) - a 136,000-sq.-ft. addition and renovation for South Austin Hospital and a 60,000-sq.-ft. expansion and interior remodel at Round Rock Hospital. St. David's is a partnership between HCA and St. David's HealthCare System, and these two projects are part of the partnership's $200 million CARE Initiative that includes expansion and new construction at facilities throughout Central Texas. Ranked as the 13th largest builder of healthcare facilities in the country by Engineering News-Record magazine, DPR has built more than 300,000 sq. ft. of healthcare space in Texas.

"While we are known as a major builder of healthcare facilities, our market sectors span many types of technically demanding construction, from semiconductor manufacturing plants to high end corporate office to biotechnology research campuses," said DPR's Gary Nauert. "With this cross-industry background, we bring more to the table on hospital projects. For example, through building semiconductor manufacturing facilities, we have seen the benefit of clean room particulate control systems and their application to the healthcare setting, where airborne contaminants must be kept away from patients."

DPR also applies the techniques and innovations of its biotech research and corporate office construction to the laboratories and medical office buildings of the healthcare sector.

"DPR's proven experience in healthcare construction and other highly technical construction projects was a major reason why we chose them as our contractor for these two hospitals," said Malcolm Belisle, vice president of corporate services for St. David's. "But beyond that, St. David's is a community focused organization. In choosing DPR, we are partnering with a company that takes a collaborative approach to building and is equally dedicated to the people in this area and our state."

South Austin Hospital
With construction set to commence in June 2002, the expansion of HCA's South Austin Hospital will include a new 100,000-sq.-ft., four-story tower, 360-space, five-story parking garage, and 36,000 sq. ft. of renovations. The connections from existing space to new construction and interior renovations of the first floor will be tackled in five phases, to minimize disruption to the fully functioning facility. In addition, DPR will build temporary walls and manually increase air pressure in rooms adjacent to construction to minimize particulates in the air. First on DPR's plate will be the construction of a 40-space surface parking lot to alleviate congestion during the construction process, which is scheduled to be completed in December 2004.

Round Rock Hospital

This complex, two-story, four-phase renovation and expansion will provide the hospital with new surgical services, intensive care, women's services and diagnostic and imaging spaces. An additional 16,000 sq. ft. of public and administrative areas will also be built out over the course of the project, which gets under way in September 2002 and is expected to be completed in April 2004. According to Nauert, as with the South Austin facility, DPR's ability to complete the construction without disrupting planned and unplanned hospital activities will be key to the success of the project.

"For both patients and staff, it is very important that disturbance of their routines be kept to a minimum during hospital construction projects," said Belisle. "We have worked with DPR in the past and know first hand their ability to accomplish this goal while finishing the projects on time and within budget."

These two most recent projects for St. David's are part of a continuing relationship with DPR. In the past 10 months, the general contractor completed the Surgicare, a free-standing surgery center at South Austin Hospital, and the Bailey Square Surgery Center.

About DPR Construction, Inc.

A local builder with global capabilities, DPR Construction, Inc., has been "building great things" in Texas since 1994, including projects statewide for such notable companies as Sun Microsystems, CarrAmerica Realty, Motorola, Texas A&M, Hillwood Properties and WorldCom. Specializing in technically demanding projects in healthcare, energy, digital media, biotechnology/pharmaceutical, corporate/speculative office, mission critical (data/telecom), entertainment and warehouse and distribution industries, DPR has been recognized for its unique collaborative approach in local, national and global markets.

DPR's Texas offices can be reached at:

• Austin - 512.345.7699
• Dallas - 972.781.0366
• Houston - 281.296.0100
• San Antonio - 210.822.9399

In addition to Texas, DPR also has offices in Phoenix, Ariz.; Newport Beach, Pleasanton, Redwood City, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Atlanta, Ga.; Portland, Ore; Fairfax County and Richmond, Va.; Seattle, Wash.; and Singapore. All offices can be reached by email at [email protected] or on the Web at http://www.dprinc.com.