Health First recently celebrated a major construction milestone with the topping off ceremony for the new Cape Canaveral Hospital campus. The event marked the placement of the final structural beam on the project’s medical office building, signifying that the structure has reached its full height and that construction is progressing steadily.
Almost two years to the date since Health First broke ground on the new Cape Canaveral replacement hospital in Merritt Island, officials celebrated the last official steel beam being prepared for installment within
the campus Medical Office Building. The “topping off ceremony” included an 8-foot-long Health First-branded steel construction beam, which was signed over the course of the last week by hundreds of Health First associates and construction and engineering team members.
The ceremony marks a major construction milestone and the event recognized and celebrated project partners, leadership, community stakeholders, and construction teams all integral to the construction of the new facility. “Today’s topping off ceremony represents more than the placement of the final beam. It symbolizes progress, partnership, and our continued promise to meet the needs of this community. Cape Canaveral Hospital has been a trusted part of this region for more than six decades. Since opening in 1962, the hospital has cared for generations of families along our beaches and barrier islands. It has been the place where lives begin, where critical moments are met with skill and compassion, and where our associates show every day what care should feel like,” said Cape Canaveral Hospital President Andrew Cain.
“As Brevard County continues to grow, the healthcare needs of our community are becoming more complex and more demanding. Meeting those needs is not optional for us. It is our responsibility. It is our mission. This project is part of our broader commitment to grow thoughtfully and responsibly across Brevard County. As our region evolves, we are expanding services, advancing technology, and enhancing facilities so we can continue delivering on our promise. Together, we are building more than a hospital. We are modernizing how care is delivered, improving the patient experience, and reinforcing our commitment to being Brevard’s trusted healthcare provider.
Projects of this scale do not happen without strong partnerships and dedicated teams. I want to recognize our construction, design, engineering, and project management partners — Gilbane Building Company, The Lawrence Group, The Concord Group, and BCER Engineering — for the expertise and collaboration they have brought to this effort. Their work, alongside our Health First facilities team, has kept this project moving forward and positioned us to reach this important milestone. And of course, I also want to recognize our Health First facilities and construction team for their expertise and dedication throughout this entire process,” Cain continued.
“A topping off ceremony is a long-standing construction tradition. It marks the placement of the final structural beam and means the building has reached its full height. For us, it represents years of planning and steady progress to bring this vision to life. I’ve had the opportunity to see this project evolve from early conversations and drawings into the structures standing behind us today. Getting to this point has taken coordination across many teams and a shared commitment to moving forward one step at a time. Projects of this size take patience and persistence. I’m proud of how our partners and Health First teams have worked together to reach this milestone.” Said Health First System Vice President for Facilities and Construction Keila Stradtner.
“What stands behind us today is more than steel and concrete. It reflects the expertise of our facilities team and the dedication of the many professionals contributing to this effort every single day. Now that the structure has reached its full height, our focus shifts to the next phase: interior buildout, system installation, technology integration, and the many details that will transform this structure into a fully operational hospital. We have approximately one year of work ahead of us, and it will require the same level of coordination and collaboration that brought us to this milestone. There is still important work to do, and we remain focused on executing each step with excellence. I want to recognize the Health First facilities team and our many internal partners for their diligence and collaboration throughout this process,” Stradtner continued.
Construction is slated to finish by the end of 2026 or early 2027 and the hospital is expected to officially open to the public in mid- 2027. The new 268,000-square-foot Cape Canaveral Hospital will include:
- 120 private inpatient beds.
- 25 Emergency Department treatment rooms – doubling the existing number of emergency rooms.
- 6 Operating Rooms.
The hospital was designed for and will be built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane. Continuation of care and the potential for evacuation will be evaluated for individual storms, in consultation with state officials.
Additionally, the entire campus site will be constructed 13 feet above sea level to withstand storm surge. The campus will be served by an on-site Central Energy Plant, built to ensure continuous power function even during tropical storms and hurricanes.
The campus will feature ample parking, including 296 paved/surface parking spots and 533 covered/structure parking spots. The three-deck parking structure and surface parking spots will provide easy and convenient access within our campus.
The new project will also include a new 3-story, 92,000-square-foot Medical Office Building. Construction is expected to be completed by late 2026 and begin serving our community in early 2027 – simultaneously with the new Cape Canaveral Hospital.
This article was published by Space Coast Daily on 3/4/2026.