Nemours Closes on Lake Nona Medical Campus Land, Selects Construction Manager

Orlando, Florida
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 @ 09:18 AM EDT
by: Jarrod Cady, Ph: (407) 427-0827; Fax: (407) 816-6593, jcady@nemours.org

Orlando, FL - Today, Nemours finalized its acquisition of 60 acres of land in the heart of Lake Nona’s medical city, on which it will build a top-tier pediatric health care facility – anchored by a children’s hospital. The property will position Nemours’ campus in close proximity to the UCF College of Medicine, Burnham Institute for Medical Research and the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Nemours will also be a founding partner in the Lake Nona Healthcare and Life Science Consortium.

“The potential for world-class alliances and groundbreaking medical research undoubtedly grows with the presence of Nemours’ new facility,” stated Rasesh Thakkar, senior managing director of the Tavistock Group. “We look forward to enhancing the synergies between Nemours and other partners as this health and life science cluster develops at Lake Nona.”

Paving the way to begin construction expeditiously, today Nemours selected Skanska USA Building Inc. as construction manager to oversee the building process for its pediatric system, including the 95-bed hospital. The firm was selected from a handful of candidates that were specifically selected for their outstanding capabilities and experience in health care construction.

“We have a tremendous team of firms and individuals with incredible capabilities in pediatric care that are working together to create a pediatric health care experience unlike any other,” says Jeffrey E. Green, Nemours vice president and chief administrative officer, who also serves as the Nemours Children’s Hospital design team project executive. “Skanska USA Building Inc. is a welcome addition to this group, particularly with its tremendous international and national reputation for building truly innovative structures, and the strong health care facility experience that the central Florida team brings to the project. Also of importance is its proven track record with the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification. We have confidence that the company will make our vision of pediatric care in the 21st century a reality.”

Skanska USA Building Inc. is a division of the Fortune 500 Company and has a great deal of experience in building major specialty health care facilities, statewide and in central Florida, including the Shands Cancer Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center located in downtown Orlando. The company oversaw construction on the Parrish Healthcare Center in Port St. John in 2004, which became the first outpatient facility to be awarded LEED® Silver green building certification in Florida. Skanska USA Building Inc. currently ranks as one of the world’s 10 largest construction companies and is considered an international leader in project development and construction. The firm is well regarded for its competent history of building health care facilities worldwide.

Nemours is currently involved in planning and designing its integrated pediatric health system and plans to break ground on the project in 2009, allowing enough time for the organization to comfortably fulfill its Certificate of Need (CON) requirements to the state. The health system plans to open its doors to children and families in 2012.

About Lake Nona
Lake Nona is a 7,000-acre master planned community within the city limits of Orlando that will be home to world-class education, medical and recreational facilities, a Science & Technology Park, diverse workspaces, retail centers, entertainment choices and residential options for all types of people seeking the best the city has to offer with all the conveniences of living within a dynamic, vibrant community. Lake Nona is being developed by Lake Nona Property Holdings, owned by Tavistock Group, a private investment company with a broad portfolio of assets around the world. For more information on Lake Nona, visit www.learnlakenona.com.

About Tavistock Group
Tavistock Group is a private investment company founded by Joe Lewis. The Group has grown to encompass a broad portfolio of investments around the world in the following sectors: life sciences, sports teams (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club) and sporting events (Tavistock Cup, Isleworth Collegiate Invitational), manufacturing (Bristol Motor Cars) and distribution (Puma, Gottex, Vans), oil and gas, financial services, restaurants (California Café, Napa Valley Grille), private luxury residential properties and master-planned real estate developments.

Private club communities include Isleworth and Lake Nona Golf & Country Club both located in Orlando, Florida. Lake Nona forms a cornerstone holding to the Group’s current innovative, 7,000-acre mixed-use development plan highlighted by a life sciences cluster known as Lake Nona’s medical city. Tavistock Group, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els have recently broken ground on Albany, a luxury beach resort community on the island of New Providence in The Bahamas. Albany will feature a broad array of amenities for all members of the family including an Ernie Els-designed 18-hole championship golf course and a mega-yacht marina flanked by luxury apartment homes designed by some of the most respected architects in the world.

Tavistock Group also announced its partnership with the Jamaican Government’s Harmonization Ltd. to jointly plan and develop 2,350 oceanfront acres on the country’s northern coast in Trelawny Parish. The development is designed to reclaim the age of luxury in Jamaica and will include several hotels, gaming lounge, golf courses, retail shops, restaurants and marina making it the definitive premier resort destination in the Caribbean. For more information on Tavistock Group, visit www.tavistock.com.

modified: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 @ 11:33 AM EDT
created: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 @ 09:19 AM EDT

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.

Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.