Hunt Construction awarded cancer center building project

Construction on the Carson Tahoe Hospital Cancer Center will begin late this month, with completion anticipated for late summer 2006, a Hunt Construction Group official said Wednesday.

The construction management and general contractor was awarded the contact in mid-August, the third of its Carson-Tahoe Hospital projects in the past two years.

The $10 million, 34,000-square-foot cancer center will be located on the north end of the 80-acre regional medical center campus, where Hunt is constructing the new Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center.

Project Manager Tom Martin, said at its peak, up to 100 workers will be at the cancer center site. The 11-month construction cycle will take them right through winter.

"Hopefully it will be a milder winter than last year," he said.

Hunt's other Carson Tahoe project, the Sierra Surgery & Imaging Center, was completed in February at a cost of $11.4 million. The 50,000-square-foot, acute-care hospital has six surgery rooms for outpatient and inpatient cases.

The cancer center will be the state's only accredited cancer center.

The center will have medical and radiation oncology departments, a Cancer Resource Center, patient support groups and alternative therapy, including art and yoga classes.

"Our relationship with the Carson-Tahoe Hospital and its staff has been good since day one of working together," said Ray Zunino, Hunt's vice president. "We are excited to have another opportunity afforded us with the cancer center project and look forward to continuing this good standing relationship well into the future."

n Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.