Uniland Development to construct 140,000 s/f facility for Catholic Health; Stieglitz Snyder to serve as lead architect for $46 million project

Catholic Health plans to locate its shared services associates in a new administrative and regional training center in the city's central business district. The facility will be home to 700 Catholic Health administrative professionals and will feature a regional training center that will serve as a resource to Catholic Health and the community for a range of healthcare and healthcare-related training. "Our healthcare ministry has made major advances in clinical quality and innovation as well as the effective use of healthcare technology. As we continue to transform healthcare in our region, we are making every effort to achieve the administrative efficiencies that are the hallmark of a high performing healthcare system," said Joe McDonald, president and CEO for Catholic Health. Uniland Development Co. (www.uniland.com/) will construct and lease a six-story 140,000 s/f facility with an adjacent parking garage on a vacant parcel at 144 Genesee St. between Elm and Oak Streets. The $46 million facility will stand at the gateway to the downtown area and is accessible to vehicular traffic and public transportation. "Our founding sponsors laid the foundation for healthcare in Buffalo more than 150 years ago and with the support and leadership of mayor Byron Brown and the advocacy of assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, we are able to honor their legacy by building this facility in the heart of Buffalo. We had many options for a new home, but we wanted to be downtown and the mayor and his team helped move that process forward," McDonald said. Catholic Health has achieved success in clinical quality initiatives, a patient-centered approach to care, and leveraging innovative healthcare technology to produce better outcomes. The new facility reflects an enhanced focus on improving administrative efficiencies. Catholic Health's shared services departments will reduce their footprint from 180,000 s/f across eight scattered facilities to 140,000 s/f in one location. The move is expected to save Catholic Health $1 million per year for the next 25 years. The administrative staff of Catholic Medical Partners is expected to move into the facility following the expiration of the lease on their current Delaware Ave. offices in 2015. Catholic Medical Partners is an independent practice association of more than 900 area physicians who are closely aligned with Catholic Health. The move is expected to enhance collaboration on key clinical integration and quality initiatives to improve patient care across the continuum. Mayor Byron Brown said, "I was proud to allocate $3.8 million in state funding, designated to the City of Buffalo for development projects, to make this transformational project, which will bring 700 jobs to downtown Buffalo, possible." "This facility represents more than just Catholic Health's commitment to Buffalo. The resources available through the Regional Training Center will expand career and employment opportunities for healthcare workers across Western New York. Its location, in the 141st Assembly District, offers hope for many who are seeking the skills they need to compete in today's job market and I would like to personally thank Speaker Sheldon Silver for his efforts in helping the city with this project," said assemblywoman Peoples-Stokes. Uniland Development was selected from a number of developers who submitted proposals that spanned a wide range of possible city and suburban locations. Uniland is a leading developer and portfolio manager throughout the Buffalo-Rochester corridor. Since 1974, Uniland has designed and constructed more than 12 million s/f of commercial properties, including office, flex and industrial space, student housing, hotels, educational facilities, worship centers, multi-family residential and more. The locally-based architecture firm of Stieglitz Snyder will serve as lead architects on the project. The firm has helped shape downtown with projects including the Avant Building on Delaware Avenue. Consistent with Catholic Health's mission and advocacy for responsible use of our natural resources, the new facility will feature a wide range of environmentally-friendly features and high-efficiency systems in an effort to achieve LEED certification. The environmental impact of the building spreads far beyond its walls with secondary impacts that include a significant reduction in vehicle traffic with associates no longer needing to travel between sites. In addition to convenient access to the facility via public transportation, the facility will feature structured parking for more than 700 vehicles. Pending municipal approvals, construction is expected to begin by the end of the year with completion of the project sometime in the summer of 2014.