The first of the steel columns and beams that will form the frame of the new Norton West Louisville Hospital began rising from the building’s foundation this week.

Story by: Henry Winkelhake on July 11, 2023

The first of the steel columns and beams that will form the frame of the new Norton West Louisville Hospital began rising from the building’s foundation this week.

All told, about 500 steel beams and columns will be put in place to support the structure — the first hospital to be built west of Ninth Street in generations — at the corner of 28th Street and Broadway.
Installation will continue through the fall. Once this phase is complete, the nearly 600 tons of steel will support the next stages of construction. The hospital is expected to begin serving patients by the end of 2024.

“There’ve been so many steps leading up to this, and now we see the first pieces of the hospital coming together. As the work moves above ground, we’ll see this building start to come alive,” said Anthony Mathis, Norton Healthcare’s system director for sustainability and supplier diversity.

Like so many involved with the new hospital, Anthony sees the progress as more than a construction project. The facility will mean access, equity and hope.

“It’s bigger than Norton Healthcare. This is about making our community a better place,” Anthony said.

JaFayre Covington, senior project manager with Harmon/Messer Construction Co., described the steel structure as providing a frame that will support all that follows.