The Phillip and Susan Ragon Building is a $3.1 billion, nearly 2-million-square-foot new clinical care complex under construction along Cambridge Street on the Massachusetts General Hospital campus in Boston’s West End, serving as the future home of the Mass General Cancer Center and the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, and representing the largest construction project currently underway in the city of Boston. Comprising two towers — the 17-story Herb Chambers Tower (cancer care) and the 15-story New Balance Foundation Tower (cardiac care) — joined by a shared five-story podium, the building will deliver 482 private single-bed inpatient rooms, larger operating and interventional suites, a 300-seat conference centre, 864 underground parking spaces, and a rooftop healing garden, all designed to operate fully off-grid for 96 hours during emergencies with a 90% reduction in carbon emissions versus conventional hospital design. The 17-story Chambers Tower is slated to open for patient care in 2028, while construction of the 15-story New Balance Foundation Tower begins in 2027 and is expected to complete three to four years later in 2030. Turner Construction — the contractor behind the MGH project — is simultaneously advancing Geisinger Wyoming Valley’s $900 million patient tower in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where structural steel is now rising on an 11-storey, 600,000-square-foot expansion that will grow the campus from 356 to 500 beds and is targeted to open in Q1 2028 — illustrating the national breadth of healthcare construction capacity Turner is deploying concurrently.

Project Overview

Published 18th February 225: Turner Construction has reached a significant milestone in the redevelopment of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), topping out the highly anticipated project in Boston. The 1.9-million-square-foot project, a joint venture with Walsh Brothers, is constructed to be a new standard for sustainable and resilient healthcare building.

Keeping in mind Boston’s ambitious 2050 carbon emission reduction goals, the project integrates forward-thinking design methodologies to optimize both sustainability and operational resilience. Turner’s preconstruction team played a pivotal role in estimating costs, utilizing creative solutions, and preparing the hospital to withstand future climate change-related challenges.

Engineering Resilience in Healthcare Construction

As weather-related threats intensify, hospitals must be able to weather the storms without compromising patient care. Turner’s Vice President & Construction Executive for the project, Brian Chase, spoke to the importance of resilience in modern healthcare buildings.

“We’ve seen firsthand how extreme weather events can disrupt hospital operations, putting patients at risk. That’s why it’s essential to integrate resilient design elements from the start, ensuring healthcare facilities can continue functioning in the face of climate challenges,” said Chase.

The Massachusetts General Hospital redevelopment incorporates multiple features to enhance its resilience:

Climate-responsive systems – Wind-resistant designs and flood barriers mitigate risks posed by severe weather.

Resilient infrastructure – Upon completion, the Massachusetts General Hospital will be able function autonomously for as long as 96 hours in shelter-in-place situations, providing uninterrupted care in case of emergencies.

Sustainability integration – The buildings will boasts an impressive 90% reduction in emissions relative to typical hospital designs.

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Pioneering Low-Carbon Solutions for Energy-Intensive Healthcare

Hospitals, particularly in cold-climate cities like Boston, require plenty of energy to maintain indoor temperatures. To address this need, Turner collaborated with mechanical engineering firm BR+A to install a state-of-the-art heat pump system recycling waste heat from the building’s exhaust.

This “exhaust-source heat pump” provides about 20% of the hospital’s peak heating demand and cuts carbon emissions by nearly 90%. Instead of overdesigning to accommodate rare peak conditions, the system is efficient all year round and delivers maximum cost saving and environmental benefits.

Peter Hamill, Turner’s Project Principal and Senior Vice President, highlighted the broader implications of the  project’s sustainable design.

“Sustainable healthcare construction isn’t just about weatherproofing buildings—it’s about creating facilities that are adaptable, energy-efficient, and prepared for the future, by focusing on resilience and innovation, we’re not only meeting today’s needs but also setting a precedent for the next generation of healthcare projects,” said Hamill.

A Blueprint for the Future of Healthcare Construction

As cities aim for greener and climate-resilient development, the MGH project is a benchmark for integrating sustainability into advanced healthcare facilities, by  balancing functional needs with creative engineering, Turner and its clients are demonstrating that hospitals can reduce emissions while optimizing their ability to withstand the effects of climate disruptions.

With the topping-out milestone now reached, Massachusetts General Hospital gets closer to delivering a world-class healthcare facility ready to meet the demands of an evolving climate.

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Massachusetts General Hospital Redevelopment Project Factsheet

Project Milestone

Turner Construction and Walsh Brothers Joint Venture have topped out Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston.

Project Overview

Scale: 1.9-million-square-foot healthcare facility

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Goal: Setting new standards in sustainable and resilient healthcare construction

Key Collaborator: Walsh Brothers (Joint Venture partner)

Sustainability Features

90% reduction in emissions compared to typical hospital designs

Aligned with Boston’s 2050 carbon emission reduction goals

Innovative exhaust-source heat pump system providing 20% of peak heating demand

Collaboration with BR+A on advanced mechanical engineering solutions

Massachusetts General Hospital Resilience Features

Climate-responsive systems including wind-resistant designs and flood barriers

96-hour autonomous operation capability during emergencies

Infrastructure designed to maintain uninterrupted patient care during extreme weather events

Read also: Nemours Children’s Health Announces $300M Expansion for Lake Nona Hospital, FL.

Read also: US$4.3 billion UCSF Hospital expansion in progress, San Francisco