The walls are up, and construction is moving forward toward a fall grand opening for the new ACEP headquarters building.

Despite fall rains, winter mud, and a narrow miss by December tornadoes, construction continued undeterred just a few miles from the existing ACEP headquarters near Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport.

Construction is expected to be completed by August, with a grand opening to follow for the three-story, 57,000-square-foot headquarters, which is almost double the size of the existing headquarters.

“I am thrilled with the progress of the construction of the new building,” said ACEP President Jay A. Kaplan, MD, FACEP. “Despite the rainiest winter in recent history and losing 37 days of construction as a result, we are on track to inhabit the building by the beginning of September … We are giving birth to a new era in emergency medicine based on the thoughtfulness and intelligence put into the design and functionality of our new headquarters.”

In a special “topping out” ceremony in January, Board members of ACEP and the Emergency Medicine Foundation signed a large beam that had been painted white for the occasion. The beam was signed and put into place while the Board members were at ACEP headquarters for their January meeting.

An artist’s rendering of the headquarters building.

The new building will allow consolidation of ACEP staff under one roof and provide greater efficiency for delivering services and benefits to members. It is designed to be energy-efficient and will include amenities for the visitors who attend meetings and conferences there each year.

“We have outgrown our current headquarters, which is more than 30 years old, and have had to put staff across the street in an adjacent facility,” Dr. Kaplan said. “Not having all of our staff in one building has created inefficiencies despite excellent management by our leadership team. The new building has been designed with organizational alignment and our future in mind.”

Bursting at the Seams

ACEP moved into its existing headquarters in the mid 1980s, when the organization’s membership, finances, and activities were just about one-third the size they are now. The organization had about half the staff as today and delivered far fewer services.

After extensive review by ACEP management and the Board of Directors, the six-acre site, just a few miles from the existing headquarters, was purchased in June 2014. The existing building will be sold.

We are giving birth to a new era in emergency medicine based on the thoughtfulness and intelligence put into the design and functionality of our new headquarters. —Jay A. Kaplan, MD, FACEP, ACEP President

Groundbreaking at the new site took place in April 2015, and the walls went up in January 2016. Work has already begun on adding internal structure beams to support the walls while the roof is completed.

Each concrete wall panel weighs between 60 and 100 tons, and the panels are nearly 10 feet thick. They are reinforced with rebar and constructed with a 5,000-pound concrete that is particularly strong and fast drying.

Looking Ahead

The next step in the construction is to enclose the building so that work can begin inside.

ACEP Board members sign a beam for the building.

After the internal structure supports have been put in place, the roof will be installed. Then the supports will be removed to allow construction of the floors, starting with the third floor and working down.

At that point, work can begin on the interior of the building, unfettered by the notorious changes in the Texas weather.

The building will also incorporate a special area devoted to the history of the specialty, with art displays commemorating the mission of ACEP and the service of emergency physicians.

“It will be a testament to the importance of emergency medicine,” Dr. Kaplan said. “Besides having the latest technology and communication capabilities, and space to expand as we continue to grow, the headquarters with our ACEP logo will be very visible from a main highway as well as from the air when planes land at DFW airport.”

Floor plans, construction photos, and planned finishes are available online.

Dianna Hunt is the ACEP communications manager.