Sweetwater Construction Corp. Announces That the Harrison Endo Surgical Center Is Now Under Construction

Facility Will Be Sweetwater’s 16th Surgical Center

HARRISON, N.J. (MAY 2009) - Sweetwater Construction Corp., a recognized leader in New Jersey construction, management and general contracting, recently announced that the 9,500-square-foot Harrison Endo Surgical Center is now under construction at 620 Essex St. in Harrison, N.J.  

The state-of-the-art retrofit, which is scheduled to be completed in August, will be the 16th surgical center that Sweetwater has built in New Jersey over the past five years.

The Harrison Endo Surgical Center will occupy part of the third floor of the 43,000-square-foot building, which also houses a day care/preschool facility, a dialysis center and a school for allied health professionals. The surgical facility will include two operating rooms and two endoscopy procedure rooms. 

The new center is expected to serve approximately 3,000 patients a year, performing multi-specialty surgery procedures including gastroenterology, orthopedic, ear nose and throat, pain management and general surgery procedures, said Janice Gaccione of Amcor LLC, who will be managing the facility.

The surgical center medical partnership consists of 10 physicians led by managing member Dr. Andre Fedida, and will be staffed by 30 additional medical professionals.

“Sweetwater is pleased to add the Harrison Endo Surgical Center to its expanding portfolio of surgical centers,” said Gary Coopersmith, Sweetwater’s vice president. “In choosing Sweetwater, Harrison Endo Surgical has recognized Sweetwater’s expertise in meeting the special demands of constructing sophisticated medical facilities.”

Sweetwater’s expertise in interior renovations extends from 5,000-square-foot tenant fit-outs to 200,000-square-foot, multi-phased relocations. The firm specializes in the science and technology, hospitality, multi-family and institutional sectors, but in recent years has made a particular specialty of healthcare and surgical centers.

“The new center is part of a statewide trend of building outpatient surgical centers, which, although just as safe, are superior to a hospital setting in ease and efficiency, and provide surgical services at a lower cost,” says Gaccione. She added that they are also more patient friendly, with shorter pre-procedure waits and more liberal patient visitation rules.

The trend in New Jersey is now winding down, however, due to new legislation, the amended Codey Law, that imposes a moratorium on new licenses as of as of Sept. 17, 2009, with certain exceptions, Gaccione said.

The design of the new surgical center will strive to achieve a relaxing aura of elegance and comfort, with rich materials and soft lighting, while also facilitating operating efficiencies that will allow the center to deliver surgical services in a cost-effective manner, Gaccione said.  

Other recent Sweetwater healthcare projects include the 17,000-square-foot Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute in Freehold, N.J.; the 50,000-square-foot MALO Ambulatory Oral Surgery Center and Dental Clinic in Rutherford, N.J.; and the 12,000-square-foot Morris County Surgical Center in Parsippany, N.J.

In addition, Sweetwater has expanded its activities in the healthcare field to include veterinary hospitals, and is now building the 10,500-square-foot Winslow Animal Hospital in Winslow Township, N.J., and a 33,000-square-foot veterinary specialty and emergency trauma center in Robbinsville, N.J.

The architect for the Harrison Endo Surgical Center is Nadaskay Kopelson Architects (NK Architects) of Morristown, N.J., which specializes in healthcare facilities and is ranked among the top 50 healthcare design firms in the United States and among the top 10 in the New York residential area.

About Sweetwater Construction Corp.

Established in 1974 and headquartered in Cranbury, N.J., Sweetwater Construction is guided by a proven management team and a client-centric business philosophy. Sweetwater provides clients with expert preconstruction and construction services backed by professional commitment and personal accountability. Sweetwater’s project teams possess proven track records in the corporate, healthcare, science and technology, hospitality, multi-family and institutional sectors. Sweetwater’s notable project methodology delivers expertise in budgeting, estimating, constructability, lifecycle reviews and project control methodology; all of these coming together to help ensure a successful project. For more information please visit http://www.sweetwatercorp.com.