Turner Construction Company has officially mobilized heavy equipment to the site of the new Baptist Health Sunrise Hospital, initiating a massive $550 million capital project designed to close a healthcare accessibility gap in central Broward County. The groundbreaking ceremony marks the transition from planning to active earthworks on the 25-acre campus located near the strategic intersection of the Sawgrass Expressway and Oakland Park Boulevard. This site selection is data-driven; regional analytics indicate a surging population in Sunrise and Plantation that currently faces long drive times for high-acuity care. By placing a 100-bed tertiary care facility at this transit node, Baptist Health is physically embedding critical infrastructure where demographic heat maps show the highest projected need for emergency and surgical services over the next decade.

Technical Scope and Clinical Infrastructure

The facility is engineered to be a comprehensive medical hub rather than a satellite clinic, featuring substantial structural complexity. The scope of work involves erecting a multi-story patient tower that will house specialized units for cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics, requiring robust MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) systems to support advanced diagnostic imaging and surgical suites. Key components of the build include a fully equipped Emergency Department, multiple high-tech operating rooms, and a dedicated women’s health center. The design prioritizes “speed-to-care,” utilizing evidence-based layouts that minimize travel distances for staff and patients within the facility. Furthermore, the structural footprint allows for future vertical expansion, a “future-proofing” strategy that enables the hospital to scale its bed capacity without disrupting ongoing operations as the community continues to densify.

Baptist Health Sunrise Hospital: Factsheet

Project Name: Baptist Health Sunrise Hospital

Location: 12401 W. Oakland Park Blvd, Sunrise, Florida (near Sawgrass Expressway)

Owner/Developer: Baptist Health South Florida

General Contractor: Turner Construction Company

Architect: Gresham Smith

Total Investment: ~$550 Million

Campus Size: 25 acres

Facility Capacity: 100 Licensed Beds

Key Departments:

Emergency Department

Women’s Health & Maternity

Diagnostic Imaging & Radiology

Surgical Services (ORs)

Cardiology, Oncology, Orthopedics

Construction Timeline:

Groundbreaking: January 2026

Target Completion: Early 2028

Economic Impact:

~1,000 Construction Jobs created.

~600 Permanent Healthcare Jobs upon opening.

Strategic Driver: Addressing population growth in Sunrise/Plantation corridor; reducing travel times for tertiary care.

Design Features: Future-proofed structural design for vertical expansion; evidence-based clinical layouts.

Economic Catalyst and Workforce Mobilization

Beyond the clinical benefits, the construction phase acts as a significant economic engine for the local labor market. The project is projected to generate approximately 1,000 construction jobs at peak activity, creating sustained demand for skilled trades including electricians, pipefitters, and concrete specialists through the projected completion in early 2028. Once operational, the hospital will permanently employ around 600 clinical and administrative staff, becoming a major anchor employer for the City of Sunrise. Turner Construction is implementing lean construction methodologies to manage the logistics of this large-scale build, ensuring that the delivery timeline remains aggressive despite the complexities of the supply chain.

This development not only upgrades the region’s medical capabilities but also serves as a stabilizing economic force, converting a vacant parcel into a high-value community asset—a pattern of healthcare infrastructure investment further exemplified in Central Florida as Nemours Children’s Health announces a $300M expansion for its Lake Nona hospital. This four-year capital project will add three new structures, including a 110,000-square-foot hospital addition and a new patient care center with six operating theaters, doubling capacity to meet the needs of a pediatric population expected to grow by 5% over the next five years.