Banner Health has selected Shepley Bulfinch to lead the programming, planning, and design of a new $400 million, 700,000-square-foot clinical tower at the Banner – University Medical Center Tucson in Tucson, Ariz., as part of a major expansion and renovation project.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new nine-story, 204-bed medical tower, which replaces an aging portion of the existing hospital. The new facility will feature all-private patient rooms, 22 operating rooms and more than 45 imaging and interventional rooms as well as a new main entrance that will connect to the existing building and the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

The tower was planned with four large base levels of 100,000 square feet each and five floors of nursing units above.

The project team includes GLHN Architects and Engineers (associate architect and engineer); Sundt | DPR Construction (a joint venture; contractor); AEI, Affiliated Engineers Inc. (MEP design engineer); Martin, White & Griffis (structural design engineer); Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. (civil design engineer); and Norris Design (landscape architect).