Pocono News Section

Medical College: On Time & Under Budget

Medical College: On Time & Under Budget - Monday, November 2, 2009 at 5:50PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Monday, Nov 2, 2009 @ 05:50pm EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - On time and under budget. That's how Scranton's new medical school is progressing.

For the first time Monday morning, officials at the Commonwealth Medical College took the media inside the construction zone. Work has been underway for months. Officials said they're hoping for an April 11, 2011 opening.

"They've done a wonderful job. They've worked around and with the weather. Things are moving along really nicely," Dr. Robert D'Alessandri said. D'Alessandri is the medical school's founding dean.

The biggest news of all is the project is slated to come in five-to-ten percent under projected cost.

"We're really pleased of that. It might give us some opportunities to do some other things that we didn't do in the original planning if we have some extra dollars for that purpose," D'Alessandri said.

Senators Bob Casey and Arlen Specter, along with Congressman Chris Carney, toured the site Monday morning. They've helped secure millions for the project. They can't believe the building is going up so fast.

"It's good to see the steel going up and the construction proceeding," Senator Casey said.

"Now it feels real. Conceptually it was always there, but now it feels real, we have bricks and mortar on the way up," Rep. Chris Carney said.

Quandel Construction is doing a majority of the work. They have roughly 150 employees working on the new medical college.

"This is one of the larger projects in Scranton that I've worked on," Mike Hogan said. "It's amazing. I'm proud to be a part of the job."

The medical college is already holding its first classes at Lackawanna College.

When the new facility is finished it will house a simulation center and all of the college's research programs.