A 40,000-square-foot pediatric specialty center has broken ground inside The Shops at RedBird in southern Dallas County, Texas, set to give local families access to urgent care, primary care, behavioral health services and a range of pediatric specialties, including orthopedics and sports medicine.

Children’s Health Specialty Center RedBird addresses what local officials describe as a longstanding gap in pediatric healthcare access in southern Dallas County. The project, led by general contractor Suffolk in partnership with Post-L Group, converts a former Macy’s department store into a state-of-the-art pediatric health facility, requiring significant modifications to introduce natural light, update mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and build out a patient environment designed for children and families. Suffolk is managing construction while the surrounding retail, dining and healthcare businesses at the shopping center remain fully operational throughout the build.

Advanced planning guides complex healthcare redevelopment

To minimize disruption, the team is using a comprehensive preconstruction approach that integrates construction expertise into the design process to identify and resolve potential issues before fieldwork begins, along with advanced digital modeling and coordination tools to manage activity around the active retail environment.

“Suffolk’s experience working with world-class healthcare institutions combined with our team’s local expertise is exactly what this project requires,” said Brad Brown, president of Suffolk’s South Central Region. “This project is personal for a lot of us. Bringing Children’s Health into this community is going to make a real difference for families in southern Dallas County.”

Peter Brodsky, CEO of The Shops at RedBird, said healthcare ranks among the most important amenities the shopping center can offer the community, particularly for children. He credited Suffolk’s team, experience and processes for the partnership with Children’s Health.

Suffolk ranks among the top 25 healthcare builders in the country, with past pediatric and hospital projects including Boston Children’s Hospital, the Lavine Bekenstein Cancer Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Tampa General Hospital, Northwell Health and White Plains Hospital. In the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, the company’s portfolio includes The Galbraith, The Terminal at Katy Trail, the Dallas County Mesquite Government Center, and ongoing work at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, where Suffolk is renovating Terminal C and building an all-electric central utility plant.

The RedBird groundbreaking adds to a wave of specialty healthcare construction underway nationally — including Prisma Health’s $180 million Fountain Inn Medical Park in Greenville County, South Carolina, which also broke ground the same day.

Children’s Health Specialty Center RedBird Factsheet

Project Overview

• Owner/health system: Children’s Health
• General contractor: Suffolk, in partnership with Post-L Group
• Facility size: 40,000 square feet
• Location: The Shops at RedBird, southern Dallas County, Texas
• Building type: Adaptive reuse of a former Macy’s department store

Services Offered

• Urgent care
• Primary care
• Behavioral health services
• Pediatric specialties, including orthopedics and sports medicine

Construction Approach

• Comprehensive preconstruction integration of design and construction expertise
• Advanced digital modeling and coordination tools
• Construction phased to keep surrounding retail, dining and healthcare businesses operational throughout the project

Suffolk’s Healthcare Portfolio

• Ranks among the top 25 healthcare builders in the country
• Past clients include Boston Children’s Hospital, the Lavine Bekenstein Cancer Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Tampa General Hospital, Northwell Health and White Plains Hospital
• Dallas-Fort Worth projects include The Galbraith, The Terminal at Katy Trail, the Dallas County Mesquite Government Center, and renovation and construction work at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport