Indianapolis, February 11, 2010 – Indianapolis Mayor Gregory A. Ballard joined Wishard in a special event to mark the large-scale demolition phase of the project to construct a new hospital for all of Indianapolis on Thursday.
 “I’m very pleased with Wishard’s well-planned progress that brought us so quickly to this day,” said Mayor Ballard. ”With an eye toward efficiency and fiscal responsibility, Wishard’s work is emblematic of our City’s tremendous strides in job creation and development and reflects our community’s positive steps despite an economy that, for many others, has been painfully slow to recover. Of equal importance, this project will advance healthcare in one of America’s most livable big cities for years to come.”
 After months of asbestos remediation and interior demolition that Wishard began immediately following the election, the project team commenced exterior demolition of the former Larue D. Carter building, the first of two vacant structures Wishard will remove in order to lay the foundation for the new facility.
 “Today, we begin to tear down the walls of the past so we can erect in their place the future of healthcare in Indianapolis,” said Matthew R. Gutwein, president and CEO of Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County. “We are moving quickly to take advantage of lower materials cost and to create jobs now. On the day after the historic election, we signed documents with Indiana University to swap property. In the first week, we began asbestos remediation. And now, just 14 weeks after the overwhelming approval of the voters of Marion County, we are in full demolition.”
 “The hospital we will build in the place of these vacant buildings is important for many reasons,” said Michael McQuillen, city-county councilor and past chairman of the Municipal
Corporations Committee. “It is a sign of job creation, a sign of progress in what has been a very challenging economic climate, and it is a sign that the people of Indianapolis are looking forward to a better future.”
 Local contractor Denney Excavating will carry out the destructive demolition process, a months-long task that entails use of heavy machinery, including hydraulic-powered steel shears and concrete-crushing jaws to pinch structural members. Workers operated several pieces of equipment to begin toppling the upper floors at the end of the east wings of the long-vacant structure. They will dismantle the building in chunks from the outer wings toward the center and from the upper floors moving down to the foundation.
 “Through years of planning, community engagement and careful thought, we are preparing the site for a hospital for all of Indianapolis providing advanced care, medical research and education,” said Dr. Lisa Harris, CEO and medical director of Wishard Health Services. “Each exciting step like this brings us closer to the day when we walk hand-in-hand across the threshold of a new, modern and efficient Wishard Hospital for all of Indianapolis.”
Wishard also used the event to launch its new project Web site, TheNewWishard.org. The site provides information and updates on the project including a timeline and renderings. Wishard also launched social media profiles to accompany the new Web site, creating a presence on Facebook and Twitter.
The Larue D. Carter Psychiatric Hospital building, constructed in 1952, once served as the main psychiatric facility in Indiana. The hospital moved to its current location at 2601 Cold Springs Road in 1996. Wishard has worked on asbestos remediation at the structure since November. Project management will recycle portions of the demolished facility, including some copper piping, wire and deeper foundation pieces.
The project to construct a new Wishard will transform the landscape of healthcare in Indianapolis, and the project will deliver a shot in the arm to the area building trades industry, creating 4,400 jobs at the height of construction.
Marion County voters approved construction of a new Wishard in the Nov. 3 election, with 85 percent support for the measure, and Wishard began work immediately. Wishard plans to complete the new facility at the end 2013.
For more information about Wishard Health Services, visit www.Wishard.edu. To learn more about the construction project, visit TheNewWishard.org.