A major milestone in constructing a New Hospital at Parnassus Heights will be reached in late August when patients at UCSF Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital (LPPH) at Parnassus Heights relocate to a new modernized facility at UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion.

Patients are scheduled to move in mid-August. All dates and details are subject to change.

The New Hospital, which will be in construction through 2029, will be built on the site where the Langley Porter building now sits. Hard demolition of the building is expected to start in December 2023 – which will be another significant step forward for the New Hospital project. 

Soft demolition of the building is expected to start again in September through November.

Construction is expected to wrap up in late August to install a temporary traffic signal at the intersection of Medical Center Way and Parnassus Avenue. The signal is needed to safely support the flow of vehicle and pedestrian traffic during construction of the New Hospital.

In late August, the temporary signal is expected to start operating and will be in operation for about seven years during construction. Once the signal is operational, pedestrian traffic will be redirected to the north side of Parnassus Avenue for the duration of the New Hospital project. 

Construction site fencing will be erected along the southside of Parnassus Avenue from Medical Center Way to before the current hospital’s ambulance bay entrance.

While installing the signal, temporary barriers will be in place intermittently and at times there may be slight traffic delays on Parnassus Avenue. Flaggers will be directing vehicle and pedestrian traffic during construction hours.

Medical Center Way Weekend Closures

During weekends in July and August, parts of Medical Center Way beginning at Parnassus Avenue will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays during the months of July and August 2023. The closures are needed for construction for two projects associated with the New Hospital.

Relocate Overhead Electric Bus Line on Parnassus Avenue

Work will start to relocate part of the electric bus line on Parnassus Avenue in front of the New Hospital site. Workers completed a similar project on Parnassus Avenue in spring 2023 for the construction of PRAB. This work is expected to start in October 2023.

Hospital Entrance Construction (Moffitt Circle)

Construction is continuing outside at the hospital’s main entrance, Moffitt Circle, 505 Parnassus Ave., to build a new emergency oxygen supply connection, needed to support the new and current hospitals.

Construction for the new emergency oxygen supply connection is expected to be completed in November 2023. 

During this construction, the hospital entrance will have limited parking for patient drop-off and pickup only. UCSF ambassadors will staff the entrance to assist patients and visitors. Hospital deliveries will be directed to park in a new white loading zone west of Moffitt Circle.

Emergency Department (ED) Parking

Construction is ongoing in the Emergency Department ambulance parking lot to relocate utilities to support the new and existing hospitals. A parking attendant is staffing the ED parking lot to assist with vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow. Private vehicle parking will be limited to 15 minutes for patient drop-off and pickup only. This work will be ongoing through early 2024. 

Emergency Department (ED) Vestibule Renovation:

Construction is underway for to renovate the ED vestibule. This work is anticipated through Dec 2023. Signs are being posted for patients and visitors around the construction site. Demolition of the existing ED awning is being planned for October 2023. Dates and details are subject to change.

Existing Hospital – First Floor

Through October, construction for the new hospital will take place on the first floor of the existing hospital in the corridor by the Endoscopy department. This work will impact ramp access through the east doors at the end of the corridor. The Emergency Department (ED) door, opposite Endoscopy, will not be accessible during this work. Endoscopy and ED patients will not be impacted during this phase of work.

• Exterior construction will start at the current site of Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital.
• A new temporary traffic signal at Medical Center Way and Parnassus Avenue is expected to be operational starting late August.
• Plan for high traffic along Parnassus Avenue due to construction.
• Moffitt Circle will be limited to patient pickup and drop-off only and UCSF ambassadors are available to assist patients and visitors.
• Hospital deliveries will be directed to park in white zone west of Moffitt Circle.
• Private vehicle parking in the ED will be limited to patient drop-off and pickup only. 
• Pedestrians will be routed through a protected pathway.

Hard demolition of UC Hall is expected to start in early August to make way for the new PRAB.

Demolition and off-hauling of the building’s brick is expected to continue through July. An excavator will soon be assembled on site to start tearing down the structure’s concrete frame in early August. Hard demolition will continue through early 2024.

To limit the noise, the excavator will be using concrete shear attachments. The work will be completed behind debris curtains. 

UC Hall is located next to the Clinical Sciences Building, and near the School of Nursing, Koret Vision Research Laboratory, and the Dental Center. 

All dates and details of the project are subject to change.

Waterline Reroute

Construction to relocate waterlines is ongoing near the Westside Kirkham Lot. This work is expected to complete in early September.

Scaffolding Staircase

A scaffolding staircase will be installed behind UCSF School of Nursing and the Clinical Sciences Building (CSB), connecting a corridor behind campus called “the spine” to the Koret parking lot, and will redirect pedestrian traffic from the PRAB construction site area. Construction is expected to start in late August.

Pedestrians Reroute on Parnassus Avenue

Pedestrians are being rerouted to the northside of Parnassus Avenue between Third and Fourth avenues during the UC Hall demolition.

Parking temporarily impacted on Kirkham Street 

Some street parking on Kirkham Street in front of the Kirkham Child Development Center will be temporarily removed for city utility work needed for the PRAB project. The PRAB team is working with city agencies and P&E to schedule this work.

• Large trucks intermittently removing demolition debris on Parnassus Avenue through October 2023
• Saw cutting and breaking out of asphalt and concrete, concrete drilling
• Engine noises from trucks and equipment (idling of trucks will be limited to 5 minutes)
• Flaggers for vehicle and pedestrian traffic, signs, and traffic control for vehicle routing

To complete the improvements, the project team is expecting approximately 350 building shutdowns that will impact electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems in the Health Sciences West (HSW) and Health Sciences East (HSE) towers. They include: 

• More than 280 electrical shutdowns (emergency power, fire alarms, breezeways)
• Plumbing (sprinkler work)
• Mechanical (chilled water system for cooling), fuel oil line relocation and other work

Shrink wrap is being installed on the towers complex to complete exterior repairs. The following is the latest timeline for the phasing of the shrink-wrap installation on the exterior. 

July 2023 (Phase 2)

Shrink wrap is being installed on the westside of the HSW tower, and the northside of the HSE tower. The wrap will remain through July 2024.

October 2023 (Phase 3)

Shrink wrap will be installed on the westside of the HSE tower in October 2023, and on the northside of the HSW tower in November 2023. The wrap will remain through October 2024.

View this diagram of the shrink wrap installation and removal phasing.

All project dates and details are subject to change.

Parts of Saunders Court will be closed for construction layout for the HSIR projects. Sections will remain open for the UCSF community.

• Some noise during construction hours near construction activity 
• Some windows blocked, sealed or have window protection added for safety and because of scaffolding and/or shrink wrap at impacted areas
• All sides of the towers will have shrink wrap simultaneously for four months, which was reduced from the initial two-year plan to mitigate impacts to the building occupants.
• Fenced in area of Saunders Court to be closed for construction laydown

Construction to build a new emergency fuel tank facility on the Parnassus Heights campus is expected to start at the end of July 2023. The new facility will provide emergency fuel for several buildings on campus, including the IRM facility, the PCUP facility, Moffit and Long Hospitals, and the New Hospital at Parnassus Heights.

Construction will include:

• Widening Medical Center Way to add a bicycle lane
• Relocating utilities
• Removing / relocating parking for the PCUP, SCM and PSRB
• Rerouting domestic water and the fuel line
• Shoring, demolition and excavation
• Installing retaining wall, slab and new oil tanks
• Relocating fire hydrants

Construction hours

• 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
• 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (if weekend work is required)
• Noisy work hour restrictions will be followed.

Construction Impacts and Mitigations

• Some noise during construction hours near construction activity 
• Some lane reductions on Medical Center Way and behind the PCUP
• Brief generator noise when electrical utility is relocated

Expected completion date

February 2026

Project contact

UCSF Real Estate Project Manager David Coyle, [email protected]

There are currently projects in construction to add an additional fire water backup connection, and to update existing domestic water mains. The new fire water connection will provide an additional emergency water supply backup to UCSF. The fire waterline project also includes replacement of one of six existing domestic water mains (Segment 2) along Medical Center Way and one area along Parnassus Avenue. Also, an additional five segments of domestic water mains will be under construction for a water mains remediation and upgrades project.

• Currently, Segment 4 construction is underway near the PCUP (Parnassus Central Utility Plant).
• During the next three months, segments will be installed at these locations:
  • Segment 7: Mount Sutro reserve, between PCUP and water tanks 
  • Segment 1 and 2: Along Medical Center Way from Parnassus Avenue to PCUP building 
  • Segment 3: In the Medical Sciences Building (MSB) and existing hospital loading dock 

Expected completion date

August 2024 for both projects (phase 2 of the water mains replacement is scheduled to end in spring 2026

Project contact

UCSF Real Estate Project Manager Tasso Mavroudis, [email protected]