The sight of hard hats and scaffolding and the sound of drills and jackhammers are but a few reminders that the Medical Center is undergoing the most extensive construction and renovation process since the campus was built in the early 1960s. Here is a roundup of major projects, some still in the planning stages and others already under way.

SMILOW RESEARCH CENTER
On October 31, 2002, ground was broken for the School of Medicine’s Joan and Joel Smilow Research Center, a state-of-the-art facility that will serve as the centerpiece of the School’s efforts to maintain its position as a premier teaching and biomedical research institution. Work is in progress for the first phase of the project—the installation of the foundation walls that surround the perimeter of the site—which will be in place by the end of the year. The 13-story building is expected to be completed by the end of 2005. For detailed updates, visit www.med.nyu.edu/smilowcenter

CANCER INSTITUTE CLINICAL CENTER
The Medical Center recently broke ground on what will become New York City’s newest and most advanced outpatient cancer center. The Clinical Center of the NYU Cancer Institute, a 13-story building to be located on 34th Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues, is scheduled to open in 2004.

TISCH CAFETERIA
As part of a multiphase plan to refurbish the cafeteria, the serving area has been completely renovated, and a separate lounge and dining area for physicians is being built to protect patient confidentiality when cases are discussed. The final phase, to be completed this spring, calls for the entire dining area to be spruced up and refurnished with barely used items purchased from the Salt Lake Winter Olympics.

SCHWARTZ LECTURE HALL HOOPS
A new roof is being installed on the Schwartz Lecture Hall to make room for a new basketball court and bike shed. The new bike shed has been completed, and the basketball court should be ready for tip-off by the end of June.

RUSK INSTITUTE
The Medical Center has approved a plan for some extensive renovations in the Rusk Institute. The plan calls for the creation of two deluxe private rooms and the conversion of some 4-bed rooms to 2-bed rooms. Improvements will be made in lighting, corridors, and patient bathrooms. Renovations will also be made on nurses stations, as well as on two pediatric rehab rooms to allow for parent sleepovers. Only the first, fourth, and fifth floors of the Rusk Institute will be affected. Once under way, the project will proceed in phases over 24 months to preserve as many beds available at one time as possible.

MEDICAL SCIENCES BUILDING
The School of Medicine continues to upgrade existing research facilities. In the Medical Sciences Building, the Department of Pathology on the fifth floor will soon be equipped with bright, modern laboratories that will dramatically transform the work environment for scientists. Renovations in the microbiology laboratories on the second floor were recently completed, and work is about to begin on the pharmacology laboratories on the fourth floor. Throughout the building, new elevators and windows will be installed.