Those taking part in the Nassau Bay groundbreaking were, from left, Houston Methodist Clear Lake Chief Nursing Officer Katherine Walsh, Board of Trustees members Levi Benton and Elaine Renola, HOAR Construction Project Leader Brian Cook, Houston Methodist Clear Lake CEO Dan Newman, Greg Johnson of PhiloWilke Partnership Architects, Nassau Bay Mayor Mark Denman, Trustees John Kennedy, Dr. Franz Schneider and Jerry Neff, and Houston Methodist Regional Senior Vice President Chris Siebenaler.
By Mary Alys Cherry
Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital will begin construction soon on a six-story, 150,000-square-foot medical office building on land adjacent to its campus – the first phase in a multi-year expansion plan. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held Dec. 17 near the construction site with Nassau Bay Mayor Mark Denman and a host of dignitaries there for the turning of the first dirt.
The $40 million medical office building will be home to Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine at Clear Lake as well as the hospital’s physical therapy facilities. The building’s upper floors will contain office and clinic space for physicians from a broad range of specialties.
The building will be constructed on land that previously was part of the Nassau Bay Shopping Village in the 1800 block of Upper Bay Road. The hospital purchased that center in 2015. Construction is expected to begin in August and the building will open in 2021.
“Buildings like this don’t just happen,” Houston Methodist Clear Lake CEO Dan Newman said as he explained how hospital officials have been working with Hoar Construction, which won the main contract for the structure, the architect and many others, adding that with the new building, “we will be able to serve the community for a long time.”
He also introduced Brian Cook, the project’s managing director, noting that this will be his sixth project for Hoar Construction, which has done a number of projects for the hospital.
Mayor Denman also addressed the crowd, explaining how the community was looking forward to the proposed new building while also asking for a moment of silence in memory of the late Nassau Bay Police Sgt. Kaila Sullivan, who died so tragically earlier in the month when a suspect’s car ran over her as he tried to escape.
Joining Newman and Mayor Denman in turning the first dirt were Regional Houston Methodist Vice President Chris Siebenaler, Chief Nurse Officer Katherine Walsh, Hoar Construction Project Director Brian Cook, Architect Greg Johnson and Board of Trustee members Levi Benton, Elaine Renola, John Kennedy, Dr. Franz Schneider and Jerry Neff.
