ATLANTA, Ga. – Emory Healthcare and the Winship Cancer Institute recently broke ground on the new Emory Proton Therapy Center. Brasfield & Gorrie, the general contractor on the more than $200-million-dollar oncology center, was joined in the celebration by developer Advanced Particle Therapy and elected officials, including Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
In his remarks, Mayor Reed addressed the center’s impact, not only on the lives of patients but also on the city’s economic and research development.
Located in downtown Atlanta , the 107,000-square-foot center will accommodate approximately 2,200 cancer patients each year. The facility will open its doors to patients in 2016 after an 18-month commissioning period for the Varian Medical Systems equipment.
The new proton treatment facility will incorporate several unique features, including the 16-foot-thick specialized shielding walls necessary to house pencil beam scanning equipment. To date, one proton therapy center in the nation offers pencil beam scanning capabilities and in only one room. The Emory Proton Therapy Center will feature this advanced capability in all five of its treatment rooms.
Under the direction of developer Advanced Particle Therapy, Brasfield & Gorrie is working with Signet Development, Emory Healthcare, VOA Associates and Perkins+Will.
“This facility represents a wonderful opportunity to fulfill a healthcare need for the people of Georgia and surrounding states. We look forward to a successful building process and turning over a treatment center that will improve the lives of many patients,” said Trey Sanders, regional president of Brasfield & Gorrie.
