UK Healthcare Turfland (Building and Fit-Up)

Project Details

Services

Design-Build, Precast Supplier

Adaptive Re-use: From Abandoned Shopping Mall to State-of-the-Art Healthcare

Executive Summary

Turf Development in Lexington, Kentucky purchased the shuttered Turfland Shopping Mall in 2012. The developer sought to redevelop the property into a vibrant center of economic activity. Bristol Group developed and implemented an innovative plan for adaptive re-use of a one-time anchor department store structure into a state-of-the-art health care clinic for the University of Kentucky. In addition to the clinic, the once abandoned property is now home to a Staples store, Home Depot, Walgreen’s and multiple restaurants, including Longhorn Steak House, Chick Fil-A, City Bar-B-Q, Burger King, and O’Charley’s.

Turf Development sought to redevelop the holding into a vibrant center of economic activity. The company secured the commitment of University of Kentucky Health Care to establish a clinic in the space formerly occupied by the Dillard’s department store. Turf Development had to determine whether or not to raze the entire structure and build new facilities or retain and renovate the existing structure.

Turfland Mall was the first enclosed mall in Lexington, Kentucky, opened in August 1967 with three anchor department stores, including the locally popular McAlpin’s, which later became Dillard’s. After substantial renovations in 1997, the mall gradually lost its anchor tenants and closed on October 1, 2008. The property was eventually foreclosed and sold to Turf Development in December 2012.

Bristol Group deliberated the various options available to the owner, including complete demolition and new construction, or retaining the existing structure and recladding with load-bearing architectural precast concrete wall panels. After extensive communication with the owner and cost-benefit analysis, Bristol Group determined that the lowest financial risk and fastest solution was an adaptive re-use of the original steel structure of the former Dillard’s department store, re-cladded with load-bearing architectural precast concrete walls designed, manufactured and erected by Bristol Group.

In order to retain the original steel structure, Bristol Group used post shoring to stabilize the frame during the demolition of the load-bearing exterior concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls. During demolition, Bristol Group initiated off-site construction of new precast concrete wall panels to match the existing conditions survey of each structural member, blending the original steel frame from 1967 with modern, ultra-efficient and highly durable precast concrete wall panels.

Bristol Group’s adaptive re-use preserved the highest performing structural members of the original facility, blending them with Bristol Group’s precast technology to create a highly energy efficient building envelope. Bristol Group also used high-performance energy efficient glass and added roof insulation to ensure lower long-term operating costs for the building owner.

The new building was well-received for its elegant simplicity and its modern, sleek design. The abbreviated construction timeline allowed for faster occupancy and lower owner risk. The resulting building served as a catalyst for substantial new economic development where an abandoned shopping mall once stood.

Bristol Group’s design-build agility allows the company to excel when a project is complex and has a short timeline. The company is fully committed to a team approach that produces aligned interests, strong collaboration, greater economic efficiency and faster project deliveries. Bristol Group’s ability to self-perform many construction tasks, its precast concrete wall manufacturing capacity, and its relationship-driven approach bring substantial additional value to customers, resulting in long-term relationships.

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