You can now see where the new main and surgery entries will be, as the forms for the entry canopies are in place on Magnolia Avenue. In this illustration, they are the first two canopies from the left. Two additional canopies will be added later for the Emergency Department and Ambulance entrances (in above illustration, see two at right, behind the trees), making a total of four. Patients and visitors will drive under three of these one-story roofed structures to access the hospital lobbies.

An additional crane has been introduced to the construction site for the steel work required for this project. The number of cranes on a job site is based on the number of items to be picked up.

We are pleased to report that the first floor concrete work and basic infrastructure is now complete and sections of the second story are in progress. The second-story floor and walls and wood forms for the third floor should be in place by month’s end. Backfilling around the new patient tower is nearly done, bringing the earth level with the street again. Backfilling from the pile of excavated dirt will continue over the next months. In the basement of the hospital, electrical and structural work also continues. Our new primary switch gear was set in place in July. It will feed power to the new patient tower and the existing facility.

The building for Enloe’s forthcoming Health Learning Center, is under construction. Located at 1465 Esplanade, the building previously housed Enloe offices. The interior has been framed, energy efficient vinyl windows have been installed and a new handicapped-accessible ramp is being built along 5th Avenue. Trim work on the siding is scheduled to begin within the next month. The center’s mission is to meet the health care needs of our community by providing comprehensive access to health-related information and local
community resources at the depth and breadth desired by patients, families, staff and the community. It’s expected to open in early 2009.

Nine alcoves on the parking structure will soon display local public art. The alcoves face Magnolia Avenue. Enloe launched a Call for Artists for the project, inviting artists in the North State who are at least 18 years old to create art pieces for the 5-foot-by-3-foot alcoves. Artwork may be any media, but must be able to withstand weather. A panel of nine judges composed of a wide a range of representatives from the local art community and several Planetree Leadership Team members will convene during the week of Aug. 25 to select nine proposals. Selected artists will submit completed panels by Oct. 10. It is envisioned that the selection process will take place three times and that Enloe will purchase nine panels as semi-permanent fixtures to the parking structure. Details and an application are located here.

Parking Structure

If you’ve noticed the parking structure looks about ready to open, you’re right! It’s set to open Friday Aug. 29 at 4 a.m for employees, physicians and volunteers. Finishing work, like stucco, paint, and terracotta roof tiles, is more than 80 percent complete, and scaffolding should be removed mid-month. Thorough washing and parking striping are on schedule and bike racks will be installed on the first floor. The elevator will not be operational this month. Fortunately it is not part of the building’s handicapped access, as all handicapped parking is at ground level. Landscaping irrigation has begun and planting will continue in September. The structure’s adjacent alley (see photo at left) has been repaved, and a new curb, drainage and handicapped-accessible sidewalk
near 6th Avenue are in place. The alley is set to re-open on Aug. 11. We were pleased to be able to accommodate the City of Chico’s recent changes to the curb layout in its neighborhood plan. We greatly appreciate the patience of all neighbors and look forward to helping to ease parking in the neighborhood by providing off-street parking for Enloe employees, physicians and volunteers. Medical center patients will continue to park in the two lots closest to the main entrance.