Hebron Oaks Construction Updates

January 2023

As the end of construction approaches, most of the work being done in the new Hebron Oaks now involves painting and the installation of finishes. Blinds are being installed this month, internal building signage is scheduled to be delivered and installed, and final testing of the building systems has begun. The new Oakwood Pharmacy space, located in Covenant Oaks where the indoor connection to Hebron Oaks begins, has been drywalled, and painting will take place throughout the remainder of the month. Outside the building, siding installation is scheduled to be completed by the end of January.

As shared last month, the most significant “supply chain issue” experienced with this project related to the delivery of the two building elevators. These elevators are both now on site and installation of the elevators has begun.

Building construction is on schedule to be completed in late February. Once construction is complete the State of Wisconsin and City of Madison will need to inspect the building and issue Oakwood an Occupancy Permit before the building can be occupied. Oakwood and Vogel Bros. Building Co. have been regularly meeting with the State throughout the construction process to ensure the permitting process goes as smoothly as possible.

As we get closer to receiving the Occupancy Permit for the building, we will begin to schedule opportunities for residents and guests to tour the new Hebron Oaks. We are proud for the opportunity to provide great care in an attractive, functional new building, and can’t wait for you to see it!

December 2022

In November much of the progress on the building involved the installation of interior finishes -such as cabinets, flooring, paint, lighting, and plumbing fixtures - in the suites and common areas. Doors are being hung and hardware installed throughout the building. The commercial kitchen equipment was delivered, and three of the four loading dock doors were installed. The last loading dock door will be completed in December. Corridor tile flooring was delivered, and installation began in late November.

Outside the building, exterior window caulking and cleaning of the exterior windows was completed. Site concrete was completed, and a layer of asphalt paving was placed on the Covenant and Tabor driveway; contractors will return in Spring 2023 to place a final layer of asphalt. To improve resident and pedestrian safety and walkability on campus over 1,800 lineal feet of new sidewalk was poured for this project and handrails we placed along the sidewalks and retaining walls. Over 1,145 lineal feet of railing was installed.

Framing has been completed in the new Oakwood Pharmacy, which will be located near the entrance to the Covenant Oaks building at the beginning of the connection from Covenant Oaks to the new Hebron building (formerly where our Finance offices were located). Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing was installed in this space as well. Pharmacy drywall work has begun, and the first coat of paint will be completed this week.

Painting and the installation of finishes throughout Hebron Oaks will continue throughout December. The installation of countertops, window blinds and door hardware is scheduled to be completed by the end of the month. The roof screen wall, as well as the placement of corridor tile, is also scheduled for completion by the end of December.

In December we will begin going through a "punchlist" with Vogel Bros. Building Co. on specific floors and wings of the building. Completion of the punchlist essentially means we have inspected certain areas of the project and the work in these areas has been completed to Oakwood's satisfaction.

November 2022

In October, drywall installation was completed throughout the interior of the building, and significant progress was made on building finishes, which include flooring, paint, and the installation of cabinets, lighting, and plumbing fixtures.

On the exterior of the building, siding continues to go up and should be in place by the end of November.

Work on the grounds and driveways continued throughout October. The large parking lot just south of Covenant Oaks, which will serve as an employee parking lot was well as the main visitor parking lot for Hebron Oaks, Tabor Oaks and Covenant Oaks, was graded and asphalt was poured. This allowed Oakwood employees to resume parking in the lot in early November. The entrance from Genomic Drive onto the Oakwood campus was paved as well.

The remainder of a concrete retaining wall on the south side of the building was poured, and the large boulder has been placed in its permanent location just outside the front entrance of the building. Every boulder placed in retaining walls constructed for the project was reused from the site; not a single boulder was imported to complete the walls.

Construction on the remaining stormwater retention ponds continued as well. Of note, the engineered “fill” for the retention ponds is a specifically designed soil medium that is an integral part of the projects’ stormwater protection plan. The placement of this fill needs to be done with precision and approved by a civil engineer. Following approval, special “plant plugs” that are bred for higher moisture content (i.e., ponds), will be planted.

In the month of November, finish work - cabinets, flooring, paint, light and plumbing fixtures - continues throughout the building. Equipment for the commercial kitchen, which will be in the lower level of the new building, will be delivered this month. Installation of the corridor tile flooring starts this month, as will the installation of doors and hardware throughout the building.

Asphalt paving and site concrete work will be completed in November. Exterior window caulking will be done, followed by cleaning of the exterior windows.

Framing of the new Oakwood Pharmacy space, which will be located just off the connecting hallway in Covenant Oaks on the way to the new Hebron Oaks, is underway. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing is scheduled to be installed in this new space before the end of the month.

As the completion of the building nears, Oakwood will need an occupancy permit prior to opening the building and serving anyone in Hebron Oaks. At this time the key “bottleneck” in obtaining this permit is the delivery and installation of elevator equipment.

The elevators have been one of the few “supply chain issues” the project has experienced, thanks to proactive management of the project by Dave Bertsch, Vogel Bros. Building Co., and our subcontractors. The construction team is in regular communication with our elevator supplier and, once delivery and installation of this equipment is confirmed, we schedule final inspections to obtain our occupancy permit. Assuming no additional delays in the delivery of this elevator equipment we expect to obtain the occupancy permit this winter, which will then determine the official opening date of the project.

October 2022

Last month all project masonry work was completed, as was the steel structure that will support the canopy over the main building entrance. All mechanical rough ins have been installed, and flooring installation and painting is underway throughout the building. Outside the building, trees and shrubs were planted around the water retention pond located south of Covenant Oaks and significant progress was made on curb and gutter work.

In September the contractor and subcontractors were at their peak in terms of number of people on site, with approximately 120 craftworkers working on the building each day. Through the end of last month approximately 5,000 4’ x 12’ sheets of drywall had been installed in the building!

In October drywall installation is scheduled to be completed throughout the project, and cabinet, lighting, flooring, and plumbing fixture installation, as well as painting, will continue. Siding work will continue in October and finish in mid-November. The installation of a screen wall on the roof will begin at the end of the month, and the creation of the green roof will begin.

Landscaping will continue to be planted throughout October, and the large parking lot south of Covenant Oaks will be graded and asphalt will be poured by the end of the month, allowing employee parking to resume at that location.

Last week the Vogel Bros. Building Co. job trailer was removed from the construction site, which resulted in the removal of the livestream camera broadcasting the project site.

If you have questions regarding this skilled nursing project or would like additional information, please feel free to contact Keith VanLanduyt at (608) 230-4397 or via email at keith.vanlanduyt@oakwoodvillage.net.

Thank you for your interest and support!

September 2022

In August, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical rough ins throughout the building were completed and drywall installation began.

On the grounds, site utilities were installed under the employee parking lot leading towards the new secondary campus entrance off Genomic Drive, and additional soil retention work was completed on the south side of the building. A temporary employee parking lot was established on the property owned by the University of Wisconsin immediately east of the University Woods Recreation Center to relive some of the pressure on campus parking as we near the completion of the project.

During exterior site work in August an enormous boulder was unearthed from the Oakwood grounds. This boulder is roughly 9’x6’x6’ and weighs over ten tons! The boulder will be kept on site and incorporated into the landscaping plans near the new Hebron Oaks.

In September, drywall installation is scheduled to continue throughout the building and walls are being painted. Siding work on the exterior of the building will continue, and all masonry work should be completed around the end of the month. There will be over 54,000 emperor bricks on the exterior of the building. A canopy is scheduled to be installed above the main entrance to the building. Trees and shrubs will be planted around the water retention pond located south of Covenant Oaks and work on asphalting and new sidewalks will begin around the site.

The construction team is meeting regularly via “virtual tours” with representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), to proactively ensure the building will meet or exceed all code requirements as we seek the skilled nursing license and occupancy permit.

The construction team is scheduled to present a quarterly update at the Village Meeting this month, scheduled for Tuesday, September 27^th at 10:30am in the Center for Arts and Education. In addition to a general construction update Christopher Sina, Landscape Architect from Saiki Design, will provide attendees with an overview of the grounds and landscaping plans around the project. All are invited to attend!

August 2022

In July all door frames were installed, and interior framing was completed throughout the building.

On the exterior of the building, lower-level masonry work was completed, the lower-level canopy was constructed, and installation continued on the brick and windows around the building. A wet detention pond to the east of the building near the employee parking lot (south of Covenant Oaks) was dug and a boulder retaining wall constructed. The tower crane was disassembled and removed from the Oakwood campus on July 26^th.

In August, mechanical, plumbing and electrical rough ins throughout the building are scheduled to be completed. Drywall work is underway, and IT rooms are being prepared for cabling. Site utilities are being installed under the employee parking lot towards the new secondary campus entrance off Genomic Drive. Soil retention work continues, curb and gutter installation is beginning, and trees and shrubs around the building will start to be planted.

With utilities currently being installed under the employee parking lot and completion of the new employee parking lot to follow, employees will not be able to use the parking lot for approximately three months. Vice President of Facilities and Construction Dave Bertsch has negotiated use of the vacant parking lot owned by the University of Wisconsin immediately east of the University Woods Recreation Center as a temporary parking solution while the employee parking lot is unavailable. A temporary path connecting this parking lot to the Oakwood campus has been created. Oakwood will have use of this additional parking through October 2022.

July 2022

In June exterior wall panels were installed around the entire building. Interior framing was completed on the first and second floor and is halfway complete on the third floor. As framing work is completed, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical rough ins are being placed. Window blocking throughout the building is approximately 85% complete, and brickwork along the lower levels of the building has begun.

Final concrete pours in the building and on the roof were completed in June, and curbs and screen wall posts have been set on the roof to allow for the installation of mechanical equipment on top of the building. An extremely durable synthetic rubber membrane is being installed on the roof, which will keep snow and rainwater from penetrating the building and prevent leaks.

In July the installation of the rubber membrane on the roof will be complete, rooftop equipment will be placed, and the tower crane is scheduled to be taken down. Mechanical, plumbing and electrical rough ins will be completed by the end of the month, and all door frames throughout the building are scheduled be installed.

A significant amount of work on the grounds is taking place over the next several months, starting with the installation of utilities for the new Hebron Oaks, and followed by curb and driveway work and landscaping.

Utilities will be placed underground beneath the parking lot on the south side of Covenant Oaks and will run from the new building towards the new Genomic Drive entrance. Curb and gutter work will take place around Covenant and near the parking lot in July as we prepare to convert the roadway around Covenant Oaks towards the Tabor Oaks entrance from a temporary gravel drive to hard surface. Wet and dry detention ponds are being excavated, and a total of 191 trees, both evergreens and deciduous, will be planted over the next few months.

June 2022

This memo is the tenth in a series of monthly memos intended to keep the Oakwood community informed regarding the progress of construction on the new Hebron Oaks Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, scheduled for completion Winter 2022-2023.

In May the remainder of the third and final elevated deck was formed and poured, and the first two pours of the roof were completed. The area where the loading dock will be located was excavated and the walls for the loading dock area were formed and placed. The first phase of the installation of the tunnel wall, which will connect the building to the rest of the campus through the first floor of Covenant Oaks, was also completed.

In June the final concrete roof pours will be completed. Building HVAC (heating, venting and air conditioning) equipment is scheduled be placed on the rooftop later this month. Once this equipment is placed the tower crane will be disassembled and removed from the site.

In short, the concrete “frame” of the building is now essentially complete, and work is underway enclosing the building. You’ll notice exterior wall panels are going up around the building. Interior framing work is scheduled to begin on the first floor of the building in June.

With much of the heavy construction completed and concrete poured, this provides an opportunity to begin the process of establishing some of the landscaping around the project. In June curbs and gutters will be placed along the south side of Covenant Oaks in preparation for restoring a roadway, as well as to the east of the new Hebron Oaks building where a new parking lot will be located.

A boulder wall is being put in place near Tabor Oaks. During the earthwork and excavation for the project approximately 400 boulders were unearthed which are now being used to form retaining walls around the building. In addition, 7,000 cubic yards of dirt dug up on the construction site is being reused for backfill.

As part of an educational partnership Vogel Bros. Building Co. recently hosted a group of 15 students and faculty from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on the project site to learn more about the construction process.

Two outdoor observation areas have been established near the project, and the roadway to Tabor Oaks is scheduled to open back up in early July.

May 2022

In April the remainder of the second elevated deck was formed and poured, and the first pour of the third elevated deck was completed. These decks are the concrete slabs which make up the “floors” of the building.

The area where the new campus loading dock will be located, on the southwest corner of the building, has been excavated and footings have been formed and placed. This new loading dock will benefit the entire community, as Oakwood will direct delivery trucks to enter campus off Genomic Drive at the southeast corner of our property, thus bypassing our main campus driveway and reducing noise, congestion, and wear-and-tear on the main drive.

The below-surface connecting walkway between the new Hebron Oaks Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and rest of campus via Covenant Oaks is now under construction. The lower level of Covenant Oaks which faces west and is currently home to our Finance Department will become the walkway to Hebron Oaks and a new home for Oakwood Pharmacy. Our Finance Department will temporarily move to the fourth floor of the Tower during construction, before settling in permanently in the space currently used by rehabilitation services after the rehab team has relocated to the new Hebron Oaks.

Tunnel excavation was started in April and work has begun on cutting into the wall at the southwest corner of Covenant Oaks. This below-surface walkway, which will be fully-finished much like the current walkway connecting Tabor, Hebron and Covenant, will be well-constructed, as it will be required to accommodate a fully-loaded fire truck driving over it.

The driveway that goes around Covenant Oaks has been closed the past several weeks so the construction team could install utilities, a stormwater retention pond, and create retaining walls in that area. This closure, along with the annual cleaning of our parking garages, has recently made parking tight on our campus. This should be the most significant parking challenge we face during this project, as the driveway is scheduled to open back up approximately May 20th (a communication will go out notifying residents and employees when this roadway re-opens).

Finally, the resident garden area opened just in time for planting season, and water is accessible at the site. A sidewalk was installed in the garden to make it easier for gardeners to reach their site. Access to the garden is available via the path through the Nature Preserve, and work was done to stabilize the path to make it more accessible than it had been.

April 2022

In March the remainder of the first elevated deck was formed and poured, and the first pour of the second elevated deck was completed. These decks are the concrete slabs which make up the “floors” of the building.

One of the three stormwater retention ponds that will be on the site was also dug out last month. This pond is located immediately west of the building, near the new generator location and resident garden area. This pond, along with a pond that will be created in the middle of the circular drive near the entrances to Tabor Oaks and Covenant Oaks, are bio-retention ponds; meaning they will frequently be dry but are designed to fill with runoff from rainwater and snow melt when needed. A third pond will be a wet pond and will be located just south of Covenant Oaks between Covenant and the employee parking lot.

In the month of April, the remainder of the second elevated deck will be formed and poured, and work will begin on the third elevated deck. Retaining walls will be constructed in front of two of the water retention ponds, and the installation of site utilities will begin.

To complete the work on the retaining walls and in order to begin the utility installation, the roadway immediately to the south of Covenant Oaks leading to Tabor Oaks will be closed. An access road, which will lead through the temporary employee parking lot, will be used from Monday, April 11^th until approximately May 20^th. This access road is intended only for picking up and dropping off Tabor Oaks and Covenant Oaks residents and for emergency access vehicles. All other traffic should avoid using this access road.

During this time, visitors to Tabor Oaks and Covenant Oaks should use the Heritage Oaks entrance and may park in Heritage Oaks P1 parking. All employees should enter Tabor Oaks and Covenant Oaks through the Hebron Oaks entrance. There will be no reduction in the number of employee parking spaces in the temporary employee parking lot, nor will there be a change to the configuration of the lot.

March 2022

In February elevated decks - the concrete slabs which make up the “floors” of the building - continued to be poured. The first elevated deck will be completed in March. Significant progress will also be made this month on pouring the second elevated deck, which will serve as the floor of the third story of the building. As these decks are being poured, subcontractors are placing sleeves through the deck where they will run pipe and lines as the project moves forward so there is no need to drill holes in the concrete.

As a reminder, the new Hebron Oaks Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center will be a three-story building with a total of 60 resident suites. The first floor will include a bistro, therapy services, a salon and other key services, as well as the palliative care wing, consisting of 12 resident suites.

Below the three residential floors is a lower level, only partially exposed due to the change in ground elevation at the construction site, which will house staff offices and “back of the house” functions of the building such as medical equipment storage and the kitchen.

Because of cold conditions and snow management, the construction team limited viewing to the construction site to one designated observation area. As the weather begins to warm up, additional resident observation sites will be created and identified with signage. Please be aware of signage and adhere to designated observation areas if you are walking up to the construction site – it is important for safety reasons we limit pedestrian and vehicle traffic along the driveway between Covenant Oaks and the site, as this roadway must remain accessible for emergency vehicles. Use should be limited to family members dropping off Tabor Oaks and Covenant Oaks residents.

If you have questions regarding this skilled nursing project or would like additional information, please feel free to contact Keith VanLanduyt at (608) 230-4397 or via email at keith.vanlanduyt@oakwoodvillage.net .

February 2022

In January, footings and foundations were completed for the building, waterproofing was installed around the foundation, a temporary gas line was put in place, and the installation of an underground storm sewer pipe between stormwater retention ponds began. The construction team did close the construction site down for a few days in January when the temperature reached 20 below with the wind chill…. can you blame them?

Significantly, in January the first elevated deck was poured in the wing of the building that extends to the south. The deck essentially represents the creation of a floor of the building. The building is beginning to rise from the ground!

For the first section of deck that was poured (in the south wing), 200 yards of concrete was placed in approximately two-and-a-half hours. To place the concrete, contractors used a 56-meter concrete pump truck operated by remote control to place about one-and-a-half yards of concrete per minute! In February the formation and pour for the first elevated deck is scheduled to be completed throughout the building.

As you might imagine, a significant amount of coordination is required when pouring these decks, as subcontractors need to place openings and sleeves in the decks to accommodate the pipes and electrical lines that will run from floor to throughout the building. In the south wing of the building alone, over 2 miles of post-tension cable – cables made up of steel wires within a plastic sheath in order to add strength to concrete slabs - has already been installed.

At this time, due to the work being done and snow management, observation sites adjacent to the construction site are limited. As the weather begins to warm up over the next few months additional outdoor observation sites will be established for residents and identified with signage.

January 2022

In December, footings for the building were dug, formed and poured, and the majority of the columns on the lower level were formed and poured. Three large concrete slabs that will support the stairs in the building put in place, and waterproofing was initiated where the elevator shaft will be constructed as well as around the foundation of the building. Work forming the first elevated deck began at the end of the month.

Last month the MG&E generator was successfully relocated to the southwest corner of the University Woods campus. This needed to be moved to accommodate the future driveway on the north side (nearest Tabor Oaks) of the building. This was no small task – the generator weighs 92,000 lbs!

For the next several months much of the work on the project will involve pouring concrete. The steel and concrete building will contain approximately 6,000 cubic yards of concrete - each cubic yard weighs between 3,500 – 4,500 lbs. A concrete truck can hold between 9-to-10 cubic yards of concrete, which means approximately 600 trips by concrete trucks to the south side of our campus as we pour concrete for this project.

In the month of January the footings and foundation of building will be completed. The pour of the first elevated deck of the building is scheduled for the last week of January, weather permitting. Given how cold its been the past week or so you may be wondering how cold it can be to pour concrete – the team will not pour concrete if the temperature drops below 10 degrees.

The construction team has utilized the tower crane and large snow tarps to help navigate the winter conditions. Construction materials and the elevated decks of the building are covered by the large tarps in the evenings and on weekends, and the tower crane is used to hoist the snow tarps when needed, providing the opportunity to move a lot of snow off the construction site very quickly.

Staff has begun regular meetings to determine the FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) that will go inside the project once the building is constructed. Given the delays and supply issues businesses are experiencing in our current economic environment, we want to be proactive in finalizing these decisions and placing orders to ensure the delivery of FF&E does not delay the opening of the new building.

If you have questions regarding this skilled nursing project or would like additional information, please feel free to contact Keith VanLanduyt at (608) 230-4397 or via email at keith.vanlanduyt@oakwoodvillage.net .

December 2021

In November you likely noticed the addition of the tower crane to our campus, which rises up 110 feet above the construction site. Footings were poured for a section of the new building, and column forms were built.

The week of December 13^th MG&E is scheduled to relocate the generator from its current location to the southwest corner of our campus, weather permitting. This move should take 3-4 days, and residents and employees are not expected to be impacted by this work. Additional work this month will include digging, forming and pouring the footings for the rest of the building.

Please note that the driveway on the south side of Covenant Oaks has been reduced to one lane. Due to construction traffic, we ask that you please avoid driving along the south side of Covenant Oaks (towards Tabor Oaks). The lane is being maintained primarily for fire department access. Visitors to Tabor Oaks and Covenant Oaks are encouraged to park in Heritage Oaks P1 Level parking whenever possible.

If you have questions regarding this skilled nursing project or would like additional information, please feel free to contact Keith VanLanduyt at (608) 230-4397 or via email at keith.vanlanduyt@oakwoodvillage.net .

Thank you for your interest and support!

November 2021

In early October a temporary employee parking lot was established at the top of the hill southeast of Covenant Oaks, which will be used throughout most of the construction period. There are 46 parking spaces available for Oakwood staff, which should ensure plenty of visitor parking remains available throughout the campus during construction.

A significant amount of the project site work was completed in October. The building site was cut to grade, and one of the water retention ponds, which will become a part of the landscape around the project to help manage storm water, was cut. Footings were poured and walls were formed southwest of where the new building will be built in preparation for relocating the generator currently located near the Tabor Oaks entrance.

This month a pad will be put in place for the tower crane and the crane will be erected. You won’t miss it once it is assembled – the hook height on the crane will be 110 feet and it will have a reach of 230 feet!
Work in November will include site utility installation in preparation for construction, the installation of light pole bases, and forming and placing perimeter footings for the building.

From a safety perspective, please remember that residents and employees must stay outside the confines of the construction fencing. With much of the initial site work - which included kicking up a lot of dirt, dust and gravel - now complete, construction observation areas around the site will be established. There will be one designated construction observation area for the month of November. This area will be clearly marked with signage, and screening has been removed from this area to ensure the construction site can be clearly viewed. These observation areas will move throughout the project based upon where work is being done, so please be aware of signage around the site should you walk or drive in the area.

Oakwood is holding a Groundbreaking Ceremony in the Center for Arts and Education at 1:30pm on Thursday afternoon, November 18th. Isn’t it a bit late for a groundbreaking celebration, you might ask? Fair question. While we had the necessary permits to complete the site work done over the past two months, we recently received final permits from the City of Madison to actually begin constructing the building. We did not want to hold a formal celebration until these permits were officially in place.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-related concerns regarding capacity limits, we are unable to open this celebration up to all residents and staff. We have invited Hebron Oaks family members, University Woods Senators, select Oakwood Foundation donors, board members, and representatives from our association churches to attend this event in person.

The ceremony will be televised on Channel 900 for those interested who are unable to attend, or would prefer not to attend in person. Thank you for your understanding as we strive for a balance between celebrating this important milestone and managing our capacity limits. The most important celebration will take place when the building is complete and we hold an open house just over a year from now!

If you have questions regarding this skilled nursing project or would like additional information, please feel free to contact Keith VanLanduyt at (608) 230-4397 or via email at keith.vanlanduyt@oakwoodvillage.net
Thank you for your interest and support!

October 2021

The month of September was focused primarily on clearing the site in preparation for construction, and this work continues into October. Approximately 46,000 cubic yards of dirt is being hauled offsite, which equates to about 2,700 dump trucks! Again, because of how construction traffic is being managed, the impact of this work on campus daily life should be relatively minimal.

A number of trees have been harvested, and are being sent to The Wood Cycle in Oregon, Wisconsin, so they can be used elsewhere (because of the clinical nature of a skilled nursing building, use in this project is not practical). We are also finding a number of boulders as part of the excavation process, which may be incorporated into retaining wall features on campus.

As part of site preparation, a pad is being put in place immediately east of the old Tabor Lodge parking lot (in the upper southwest corner of Oakwood’s property where a number of resident gardens are located) for the relocation of the generator currently located near the Tabor Oaks entrance. A pad has also been created for the tower crane that will be used for construction, and the placement of construction equipment and assembly of the tower crane will begin this month.

This week, 46 parking stalls were restored on the eastern half of what was the employee parking lot, located south of Covenant Oaks. This, along with continued available employee parking in the Tabor Lodge parking lot, should relieve any pressure related to
parking on campus. The west half of the parking lot will be used for construction staging throughout the project. The temporary employee parking lot is compact gravel and will remain so throughout most of the construction effort; near the completion of the project the employee lot will briefly close again and we will pave and paint the lot for future use.

From a safety perspective, it is important that staff and residents respect the fencing and barriers in place. There will be times when the driveway along the construction site will be reduced to one lane, so it’s important anyone near the site follows the instructions on construction signage and does not enter the construction area.

A few people have mentioned the scrim, or coverings, that have been put up along the fence around the construction site. These were installed for two reasons. First, during site excavation we want to contain the dust and debris within the construction site as much as possible. The scrim helps with this.

Second, we have experienced staff and residents stopping their vehicles or standing a various points along the drive to watch construction. While we do want to create observation opportunities, we want to keep the driveway clear for safety reasons and encourage people to watch the work from safe, designated areas. These areas are being established, and will be marked with signage indicating “Construction Observation Area.” Please know that more opportunities to observe the construction will become available after the earthwork and site clearing is complete and building construction begins.

Finally, Oakwood will be posting a display boards around campus with a few images and a summary of the project features in order to provide residents, visitors and staff with an opportunity to learn a bit more about the project. These boards will be located in the Heritage Oaks lobby, The Oaks lobby, and outside The Center for Arts and Education, as well as in Hebron Oaks and Tabor Oaks. We are also taking photos of the construction site, and will run slide shows on Channel 900 as construction progresses.

If you have questions regarding this skilled nursing project or would like additional information, please feel free to contact Keith VanLanduyt at (608) 230-4397 or via email at keith.vanlanduyt@oakwoodvillage.net .

Thank you for your interest and support!

September 2021

The general contractor on this project is Vogel Brothers Building Company (VBBC), which has a long history with Oakwood and is familiar with the University Woods campus. Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) has led the design process. Senior Director of Facilities and Environmental Services Dave Bertsch has represented Oakwood throughout the planning process, with input from Oakwood’s clinical staff and executive leadership team when needed.

This new skilled nursing facility will replace Hebron Oaks, which will come down after the project is completed and residents have safely transitioned to the new building. The building is being constructed on the south side of the Oakwood campus, essentially across the circular driveway outside the entrances to Tabor Oaks and Covenant Oaks. The building will have an indoor connection to the rest of the campus through the lower level of Covenant Oaks.

The month of September will primarily be spent on site preparation prior to the start of construction. Fencing has been installed around the construction site, the concrete “upper” parking lot on the south end of Covenant Oaks is in the process of being removed, and brush, trees and dirt are being cleared from the site.

As we prepare the site for construction, know Oakwood has invested time and resources into ensuring minimal impact on the rest of the campus. Although you may have noticed slightly fewer parking spaces available on campus as we reassign employee parking from
the upper parking lot, construction traffic will enter and exit campus from the southeast corner of our property, meaning very few construction-related vehicles or equipment will drive through campus.

We have engaged with respected local arborist Bruce Allison in an effort to remove only the trees we need to for this project, and helping ensure the trees that do remain are healthy. Clearing out much of the brush and Buckthorn from the construction site will also reduce the amount of weeds and invasive species seeding in our Nature Preserve.

VBBC will also be constructing a unique soil retention system which will help stabilize the slope at the southeast corner of where the building will be located. The retention system will help prevent erosion and keep the integrity of our campus grounds intact.

With site preparation underway, actual construction on the building is scheduled to begin this fall and is anticipated to run through the end of 2022. The new skilled nursing project will feature 60 one-bedroom suites, a new rehabilitation gym, and a bistro, along with a number of other amenities that will benefit the University Woods campus as a whole, such as a loading dock, new central kitchen, and a new pharmacy (located on the lower level of Covenant Oaks as part of the connection between buildings).

For those of you interested in meeting members of the construction team and learning more about the details of this project, we will be presenting a project overview at the next campus Village Meeting, scheduled for 10:30am on Tuesday, September 28, 2021 in the Center for Arts and Education. In addition you will continue to receive a monthly update in writing.

We are extremely excited that work has begun on making a much-needed state-of-the-art skilled nursing and rehabilitation center a reality at University Woods! Thank you for your interest and support.