MARQUETTE, Mich. – (April 5, 2019) – Community leaders joined the UP Health System – Marquette team on Friday, April 5, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the health system’s new approximately 525,000-square-foot hospital and 90,000-square-foot medical office building. The event took place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the new UP Health System – Marquette campus at 850 W. Baraga Ave. in Marquette.
“This is an exciting day for our team and for our community,” said Brian Sinotte, chief executive officer of UP Health System – Marquette and market president for UP Health System. “The construction of this new hospital has been a project more than three years in the making. Its completion both honors our more than century-long legacy of providing quality care in the UP and marks the start of an exciting new chapter in healthcare here. We are delighted to celebrate this milestone and look forward to welcoming our community into our new hospital in the weeks to come.”
UP Health System – Marquette has been an integral part of the Upper Peninsula for more than 120 years. Its legacy of caring for the people of the UP dates back to the founding of Marquette City Hospital on E. Prospect Street in 1896. Over the last century, UP Health System – Marquette has changed and evolved with its community. Today, it offers care in more than 65 specialties and subspecialties – from heart and cancer care to orthopedics, pediatrics and behavioral health – and has a network of more than 40 primary and specialty care clinics across the region.
The new UP Health System – Marquette campus on W. Baraga Ave., replaces the W. College Ave. facility the hospital has inhabited since 1915. A nearly $340 million investment, the newly built hospital and medical office building offer the community easy access to enhanced healthcare services in one convenient location.
Plans to build a new hospital in Marquette began in 2012 when UP Health System became part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare. The 37-acre site for the medical campus was selected in 2015. Formerly known as the “Roundhouse Property,” it is situated close to downtown and just one mile from Northern Michigan University, enhancing collaboration between the hospital and the university. It provides easy access to Washington Street and US 41.
The Roundhouse site was used for industrial purposes for generations and was one of the largest brownfields sites in the state of Michigan. UPHS-Marquette worked collaboratively with The City of Marquette Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Brownfield Redevelopment Program to revitalize the land for the future medical campus.
Construction on the medical campus began in May 2016. The hospital building was created in collaboration with the community and with patient experience in mind. It has an easy-to-navigate main concourse and intuitive wayfinding for patients and families. It features private patient rooms, valet parking, wireless internet and a bistro. The facility gift shop and atrium coffee barista are operated by The Beacon House, which benefits from all proceeds. Services available at the hospital include 24-hour emergency services, surgical, pediatric and behavioral health care, women’s services, cancer care, cardiac care, laboratory and imaging services.
The new hospital was designed to blend effortlessly into the community and includes pre-cast panels on its façade that are made to look like native birch tree groves. Textured glass on the outside of the building protects migrant birds. The hospital was built to be energy efficient and maximize natural light throughout the facility.
“We are delighted to finally celebrate the completion of this state-of-the art facility with the Marquette community,” said Victor Giovanetti, FACHE, executive vice president, hospital operations at LifePoint Health. “Our team identified the need for a new hospital to serve this region many years ago, and we thank the community, our partners and the Marquette team for their collaboration, patience and cooperation as this project was completed. We look forward to the many ways this new facility will positively impact the health of this region for generations to come.”
The new medical office building is expected to open on May 28, and the new hospital is expected to open on June 2.
