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Construction continues to run at full steam at Parnassus Heights. This quarterly update shares what you need to know about major construction impacts on campus. Dates and other project details are subject to change. The next update will be available in spring 2024.
New Hospital at Parnassus Heights construction site as of February 22, 2024.
To serve the city with world-class care for the next century, UCSF is constructing the New Hospital at Parnassus Heights (NHPH), a 15-story hospital on the Parnassus Heights campus on the former Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital (LPPH) site. Construction will continue through 2029, with the new hospital opening in 2030.
Between February 2022 and April 2027, 32 major projects are required to prepare for demolition of LPPH and construction of the new hospital building. We are communicating impacts of this work broadly to UCSF faculty, staff, learners, patients and visitors, and the community.
Demolition Nearly Complete, Shoring and Soil Improvements Starting in March
Demolition of the former Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital (LPPH) building is expected to be complete by the end of February 2024. Next, shoring will be underway at the site. Shoring will create a retaining wall to allow excavation of the basement. Currently, soil testing and stabilization are underway at the site. The site’s staging area along Parnassus Avenue will continue to be developed throughout this year.
Early Morning Deliveries of Steel Pile Beams and More
On March 1, a drill rig is scheduled for delivery to the NHPH site between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. The truck will drive onto the NHPH site to offload. The early morning delivery time is set by SFMTA as a condition of the vehicle permit, which requires trucks wider than 12 feet, or longer than 90 feet, to drive between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Starting in March, several 90-foot-long steel beams will be delivered between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. to the NHPH site. The beams are scheduled to be delivered on March 4, 8 and other dates in March. The early morning delivery time also is set by SFMTA as a condition of the vehicle permit. Dates and details are subject to change.
Early morning deliveries of the beams will continue through May 2024.
Other Work Underway for the New Hospital Project
Medical Center Way Weekend Closures: On weekends through December 2024 parts of Medical Center Way (beginning at Parnassus Avenue) will be closed to vehicles from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The closures are needed for utility installation and reconfiguration, new oxygen tank construction, as well as increasing the width of Medical Center Way. Emergency and other key service vehicles will have access at all times on Medical Center Way.
Emergency Oxygen Supply Connection at Moffitt Circle: Through February 2024, construction is underway outside the hospital entrance (Moffitt Circle), 505 Parnassus Ave., to build a new emergency oxygen supply connection to support the new and current hospitals. Demolition of the old Emergency Oxygen Supply Connection (EOSC) to expected to be complete in February 2024.
You can expect to noise and vibration in the area during the demolition.
During construction, the hospital entrance has limited parking for patient drop-off and pickup only. UCSF ambassadors are staffing the entrance to manage traffic flow and assist patients and visitors. Hospital deliveries are being directed to park in the white loading zone west of Moffitt Circle.
Emergency Department (ED) Lot Utility Reroute and Hospital Employee Entrance Relocation: Through February 2024, construction is ongoing in the Emergency Department ambulance parking lot to relocate utilities to support the new and existing hospitals. Although this project is expected to be complete this month, construction in the ED parking lot will be ongoing through 2030.
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.
Emergency Department (ED) Vestibule Renovation and Awning Demolition: Through May 2024, construction is underway to renovate the ED vestibule and demolish the ED awning. Signs are posted for patients and visitors around the construction site.
What You Can Expect
Plan for increased traffic along Parnassus Avenue due to construction.
Through May 2024, there will be an increase in trucks off hauling soil from Clarendon Avenue to Medical Center Way, then east on Parnassus Avenue to Stanyon Street.
You can expect some noise, dust and vibration impacts near the site.
The project team is spraying water on the rubble to tamp down the dust.
Next to the site, UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights is increasing the monitoring of air intake and filter changing to help mitigate any potential impacts.
UCSF Health is alerting patients with appointments at Parnassus Heights about the construction via MyChart, text, newsletter, and its website.
Hospital entrance (Moffitt Circle) is limited to patient pickup and drop-off only.
Hospital deliveries will be directed to park in the 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 around construction.
Parnassus Research and Academic Building
Parnassus Research and Academic Building site as of February 14, 2024.
Construction will continue through 2028 on the former UC Hall site to build a new state-of-the-art Parnassus Research and Academic Building that will provide a new home for the School of Nursing, an expanded education space, and space for multiple health and science disciplines. The new building will encourage collaboration and support UCSF staying at the cutting edge of discovery, learning and care.
The building also will serve as temporary spaces for research and academic groups as the campus undergoes several major improvements for the Comprehensive Parnassus Heights Plan through 2030.
Workers are drilling to install piles in the ground at the PRAB site to construct a retaining wall along Koret Way. The piles are vertical steel beams encased in concrete. Once the retaining wall is built, excess dirt will be removed to create space for the building.
You can expect to see large trucks and equipment on the site.
There will be some noise from the excavator, soil drill rig and concrete trucks.
Koret Way Open to Pedestrians Through 2024
Koret Way has reopened to pedestrians and will remain open through 2024. Construction flaggers will be present to control pedestrian traffic during deliveries as a safety measure. Any long-term Koret Way closures will be communicated widely to the Parnassus Heights campus.
Koret Way remains closed to vehicle traffic and parking. ADA parking and some state vehicle parking is still available in the Koret Way Surface Lot near the School of Nursing building.
Pedestrians can access Koret Way; construction flaggers will be present to control pedestrian traffic during deliveries as a safety measure.
ADA parking will still be available.
Deliveries will be able to access Koret Way.
Traffic flaggers will direct pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
No drop-offs, pick-ups or drive through traffic will be allowed on Koret Way.
Emergency access is open from the School of Nursing building to Koret Vision Center.
PRAB Trucking Traffic on Parnassus Avenue, Koret Way
Trucks are arriving on Parnassus Avenue to the PRAB site to off haul soil. Through 2024, soil will continue to be excavated from the site and hauled off on Parnassus Avenue to support the shoring activities as the retaining wall is built for PRAB. Behind the PRAB site on Koret Way, concrete and delivery trucks also are arriving at the site. Traffic flaggers are onsite to help direct traffic.
Shoring Under Clinical Sciences Building
In February 2024, a classroom (CSB-0101) on the lower level on the west side of the Clinical Sciences Building (CSB) is expected to be closed through mid-March while work is performed directly adjacent. A temporary wall will be built to protect CSB during construction, and tiebacks, or horizontal rods, will extend below CSB. These tiebacks will help stabilize the retaining wall for PRAB.
CSB occupants can expect to hear some noise and vibrations during this work.
A boom lift will be on the exterior northwest corner of CSB.
Pedestrians on Parnassus Avenue will be rerouted around the construction activities.
What You Can Expect
Koret Way is open to pedestrians; construction flaggers will be present to control pedestrian traffic during deliveries as a safety measure.
Pedestrian pick-ups and drop-offs for the UCSF Dental Center should go to the south entrance in the Kirkham Lot (not Parnassus Avenue).
Pedestrians are being rerouted to the northside of Parnassus Avenue between Third and Fourth avenues during the PRAB construction.
Expect trucks arriving to and from the site on Parnassus Avenue and Koret Way.
Expect noises from trucks and equipment.
Flaggers will be directing vehicle and pedestrian traffic around the site.
Parnassus Central Campus Site Improvements
Site map of Pararnassus Central Campus Site Improvements program
UCSF is embarking on an important endeavor to create a welcoming pedestrian connection that leads to the “heart of campus” at Parnassus Heights. The Parnassus Central Campus Site Improvements (PCCSI) program will create a connection with landscaping and hardscaping between the new PRAB Promenade and Saunders Court, across the footprint of the existing School of Nursing building, which will be demolished starting in late 2024, and surrounding area.
The project will provide extensive site improvements in the central core of campus, including extending utilities to support existing and future buildings, providing opportunities for improved energy efficiency and furtherance of UCSF’s fossil-fuel-free initiatives. This work will further the Comprehensive Parnassus Heights Plan (CPHP) in three key ways.
Extending utility infrastructure to support west campus development
Complying with UCOP Seismic Policy (decant and demolition of School of Nursing building)
Creating pedestrian connections from the PRAB Promenade to Saunders Court
Last year, more than 300 UCSF community members participated in the survey to provide input that will help guide the upcoming design process for the project. UCSF Real Estate greatly appreciates the participation of the UCSF community in this effort.
Late April 2024: Moves Start for Decant of School of Nursing Building
Occupants will start moving out of the School of Nursing (SON) building in late April 2024 to prepare for the building decant. Construction activities related to demolition of the building, which needs improvements to meet UC’s current seismic standards, are expected to begin in late 2024.
The School of Nursing will temporarily move to the Wayne and Gladys Valley Center for Vision on the Mission Bay campus, starting in April 2024. Eventually, the School of Nursing will relocate to the future PRAB once the building opens.
In spring 2024, activities will continue in the SON building to remove/salvage remaining furniture and equipment.
The Ladle & Leaf restaurant in the SON building will be relocating to a renovated space on the first floor in Millberry Union on the Parnassus Heights campus. The relocation is expected in mid-2024.
Preliminary Project Schedule
Early 2024: Design starts
April 2024: Start decant of the School of Nursing building
Fall 2024: Construction starts
Spring 2027: Construction ends
All dates and details are subject to change.
Health Sciences Instruction and Research (HSIR) Towers Improvements Program
Shrink wrap removal will start in March 2024 for the HSW and HSE Towers.
Construction is underway to improve the Health Sciences Instruction and Research (HSIR) East and West towers. The HSIR complex is made up of two, 16-floor towers with an elevator and corridor that connects the towers. About 90% of the building includes labs and research space. The HSIR Improvements Program consists of three projects:
HSIR Exterior Ledge Repairs: Full repair and recoating of the exterior concrete ledges for Health Sciences West (HSW) and Health Sciences East (HSE). The exterior repairs will improve the building’s safety.
HSIR Life Safety Improvements: Provide a fully sprinklered building, install fire sprinklers in currently non-sprinklered areas, correct fire sprinkler pipe pressure deficiencies, add sprinkler heads to chemical fume hoods, and extend existing standpipes on the rooftops for fire department access.
HSIR Seismic Improvements: Improve the seismic performance rating of HSW and HSE by making whole-building structure improvements including installing seismic dampers, column splicing at level 5 of both towers, and upgrading the seismic joints and utility restraints. This project will make the building safer in the event of an earthquake and will better protect UCSF labs and experiments.
Construction Hours
7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for interior and exterior work
10 p.m. – 6 a.m. Monday through Friday for interior fire sprinkler work
In March, workers will begin removing shrink wrap from the exteriors of the HSE and HSW towers. The shrink wrap, which was needed to complete exterior repairs safely, will be removed in a phased manner as sections of the buildings are completed. The last section of shrink wrap is scheduled to be removed in October 2024. View this diagram of the shrink wrap installation and removal phasing. Dates and details are subject to change.
You can expect to see the HSE and HSW towers covered in white shrink wrap.
Seismic Scaffolding Added to HSW and HSE Stair and Elevator Towers
Seismic scaffolding will be assembled along various areas of the HSW and HSE stair and elevator towers. For the HSE stair tower, scaffolding is scheduled to be added in March through April 2024 on the east exterior. Scaffolding will be added on the southeast exterior of HSW stair tower in late March and April 2024.
You can expect to see additional exterior scaffolding on parts of the towers through April 2024.
You may experience some noise impacts from the installation of scaffolding.
View this diagram for details on the scaffold installation timeline and locations. Dates and details are subject to change.
Learn More About the HSIR Improvements Program
On February 7, 2024, the HSIR Improvements Program held its latest Town Hall meeting to inform the UCSF community on the latest construction activities and impact. You can find the Town Hall materials at the links below on the UCSF Real Estate website.
Tentatively, the next HSIR Town Hall will be in May 2024. Stay tune for details.
Other Work Underway for the Project
Expect scheduled building shutdowns that will impact electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other systems in the HSW and HSE towers.
Parts of Saunders Court will remain closed through early 2025 for construction laydown for the HSIR projects. Some sections remain open.
What You Can Expect
Building occupants can expect noise during construction hours.
In the HSE and HSW towers, windows are sealed closed with window protection added for safety.
An enclosed area of Saunders Court is being used for construction staging and is not accessible to the community.
Other Construction Projects at Parnassus Heights
Fuel Tanks Project
Through December 2024, lane access will be intermittently reduced to the fire lane behind the PCUP building, and along parts of Medical Center Way, to support construction of a new emergency fuel tanks facility. The new facility will provide emergency fuel for several buildings on the Parnassus Heights campus, including the IRM facility, the PCUP facility, Moffit and Long Hospitals, and the New Hospital at Parnassus Heights (NHPH).
Construction will include:
Widening Medical Center Way
Relocating utilities
Rerouting domestic water and the fuel line
Shoring, demolition and excavation in late April 2024
Installing soil nail wall, slab and new oil tanks in mid-2024
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
A lane on Medical Center Way will be intermittently closed through December 2024. Access will remain open at all times.
During the project, fire lane access to HSIR, and the PSRB and IRM loading docks, behind the PCUP, will occasionally be impacted by construction. However, access for emergency vehicles will be maintained.
Some noise during construction hours near construction activity.
Brief generator noise where electrical utility is relocated.
There are currently projects in construction to add an additional fire water backup connection and to update existing domestic water mains.
Segments will be installed at these locations:
Segment 7: Located in Mount Sutro and upper Medical Center Way (construction expected through late March 2024).
Segment 1 and 2 and a portion of the fire main system: After segment 7, construction will begin along Medical Center Way from Parnassus Avenue to PCUP building (construction expected April through June 2024 depending on weather)
Segment 3: Potholing is underway in the Medical Sciences Building (MSB) and existing hospital loading dock (weekend construction expected through June 2024)
A retaining wall will be built along Parnassus Avenue and the east side of Medical Center Way (construction expected in 2024; plans are still being finalized)
