Short-Term Rehabilitation Facility Living Center, Phase II
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
LOCATION: Cincinnati, Ohio
SIZE: 8,680,000
AWARD DATE: September 2012
COMPLETED: February 2016
AACON served as the prime Design-Build contractor for the Department of Veterans Affairs on the construction of a new 26,000-square-foot Short-Term Rehabilitation Community Living Center located within the occupied Cincinnati VA Medical Center campus. This project required precise coordination and secure access management within a dense urban setting, surrounded by an active hospital, parking garage, and adjacent university facilities. The two-level structure—one floor above grade and one below—was constructed using poured concrete foundations, cold-formed metal framing, and a structural steel superstructure. The facility houses 16 patient rooms, 21 restrooms, 8 administrative offices, a therapy suite with electrical chair lifts, recreation and occupational therapy rooms, a kitchen and pantry, chapel, and two new elevators.
AACON managed more than 15 specialty subcontractors while self-performing 35% of the total contract value ($2.9 million), including project management, civil and concrete work, foundations, flooring, drywall, finish carpentry, and acoustical ceiling, door, and frame installations. The company implemented detailed phasing and dust-control plans to ensure patient safety and maintain ongoing hospital operations throughout construction.
The project presented unique logistical challenges due to extreme site constraints—only 43,000 square feet of available space—and the excavation of 60% of an existing parking lot to a depth of 16 feet. AACON developed and executed a comprehensive traffic management and safety control plan to accommodate continuous hospital access and hundreds of daily vehicle movements through the construction zone. Work sequencing was closely coordinated with VA administrators, requiring 72-hour advance notice for electrical and plumbing shutdowns, many of which were scheduled overnight to avoid disruption to surgical and critical-care operations.
Despite an 18-month start delay caused by preceding garage construction, AACON maintained project momentum through proactive coordination and real-time issue resolution, addressing unforeseen subsurface conditions and unrecorded utility conflicts discovered during excavation. The project achieved full LEED compliance through energy-efficient lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, automatic water controls, and a Construction Waste Management Plan that diverted over 40% of material from landfills.
Safety remained paramount throughout the 22-month construction period, with AACON maintaining a zero-incident record through strict adherence to its Accident Prevention Plan (APP), weekly safety meetings, and dedicated on-site traffic control personnel.
Through disciplined planning, collaboration, and schedule management, AACON successfully completed the Short-Term Rehabilitation Community Living Center three months ahead of schedule and on budget, delivering a state-of-the-art, sustainable facility that supports the VA’s mission of providing compassionate, high-quality care to veterans in a safe and healing environment.
