Special to Florida Construction News
Southwest Florida continues to rise, this time with a focus on expanding access to quality healthcare. One of the most significant projects is the new Lee Health Fort Myers campus. This project is a multi-phase expansion that will deliver a state-of-the-art hospital and medical office building to one of the fastest-growing regions. 
For B&I Contractors, this project is more than a construction milestone, it reflects the company’s commitment to innovation, collaboration, and community impact.
Located on a 53-acre site at Colonial Boulevard and Jones-Walker Boulevard, the new campus is poised to transform the surrounding area into a full-service medical destination. At the heart of the project is the 534,778-sq. ft. hospital, which will open with up to 236 private patient rooms and has future capacity for 260 beds.
The campus also includes a 125,326-sq. ft. Medical Office Building (MOB), offering specialized care and expanding access to physicians across multiple disciplines. Key features include an Ambulatory Surgery Center with 18 operating rooms, a 44-bed Emergency Department, and dedicated spaces for orthopedics, spine, rheumatology, and additional services through the Lee Health Musculoskeletal Institute.
Supporting the working families of the region, the campus will also feature a 7,600-square-foot Child Development Center capable of serving up to 114 children.
B&I’s role on this project is both broad and integrated. B&I is providing the HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing scope of work on the project. This combined scope requires extensive coordination, and a deep understanding of healthcare facility needs.
“Healthcare construction provides a unique set of challenges as far as coordination of services,” Gena Shaffer, Senior Project Manager for B&I Contractors, explains. “There is a lot more competition overhead and in-wall to accommodate all the systems that relate to patient care as well as specialty equipment such as surgical or imaging equipment.”
To support the complexity of this work, B&I has utilized Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) from the very beginning. The team joined the coordination process in November 2024, allowing all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to be designed and integrated digitally before installation begins in the field.
This early involvement reduces rework, enhances efficiency, and ensures system reliability which is an essential factor for any healthcare environment where accuracy, safety, and uninterrupted service are critical.
As construction progresses, B&I’s role reinforces its reputation as a trusted partner in healthcare construction across Florida. With a combination of technical precision, collaborative planning, and forward-thinking innovation, the company is helping shape a campus that will support the health and well-being of Southwest Florida for generations to come.
