WATCH: Health First Officials Provide New Cape Canaveral Hospital on Merritt Island Construction Project Update

March 21 marked one-year anniversary of groundbreaking for Cape Canaveral Hospital’s new campus

WATCH: Exactly one year after Health First broke ground on the new Cape Canaveral replacement hospital in Merritt Island, officials provided an onsite status update on the project.“We’re doing everything we can to accelerate opening our doors to the community at this exciting new location,” said Keila Stradtner, Health First System Vice President for Facilities and Construction.

A promise made to Brevard County is quickly taking shape. 

BREVARD COUNTY • MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA – Exactly one year since Health First broke ground on the new Cape Canaveral replacement hospital in Merritt Island, officials provided an onsite status update on the project.

Since the very first ceremonial turn of dirt on “3-2-1 Day” in 2024, a lot has happened – the existing building on the premises has been demolished, land cleared, drainage systems installed, pilings driven, foundation laid, and walls are now going up at a rapid pace.

March 21 marked the one-year anniversary of the groundbreaking ceremony for Cape Canaveral Hospital’s new campus, which includes a 5-story hospital, a 3-story medical office building, and a 4-story parking garage.

“We’re doing everything we can to accelerate opening our doors to the community at this exciting new location,” said Keila Stradtner, Health First System Vice President for Facilities and Construction.

“We are focused on caring for the needs of our community, and the opportunity to update our community on the incredible progress that has already been made reminds us of that.”

CURRENT PROGRESS:

At 1 a.m. Friday, Health First started the final concrete pour for the deck on the hospital’s second floor. To date, 15,000 cubic yards of concrete have been poured at the site.

“On a typical day, approximately 100 people work on the site, and we expect that number to reach 400-500 people at the peak of construction in the summer of this year,” said Health First spokesperson Lance Skelly. “Most work this year will be centered around building the foundations, walls, and other concrete structures for all buildings.

“We expect to achieve ‘dry in’ for the hospital by early January 2026. This means the structure will become watertight, and construction teams will begin building out the interior portions of the project,” said Skelly.

Construction is slated to finish by the end of 2026, and the hospital will officially open to the public in early 2027.

The new 268,000-square-foot Cape Canaveral Hospital will include:

■ 120 private inpatient beds.
■ 25 Emergency Department treatment rooms
■ 6 Operating Rooms

The hospital was designed for and will be built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane. In consultation with state officials, continuity of care and the potential for evacuation will be evaluated for individual storms. The entire campus site will also be constructed 13 feet above sea level to withstand storm surges. 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 to the campus.

Medical Office Building: 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.

Construction: The new Cape Canaveral Hospital and Medical Office Building on Merritt Island, which will cost approximately $450 million, is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and officially open to the public in early 2027.

The new 268,000-square-foot Cape Canaveral Hospital will include:

■ 120 private inpatient hospital beds
■ 25 Emergency Department treatment rooms
■ 6 Operating Rooms

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Standards: The hospital was designed and will be built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane. Continuation of care and the potential for evacuation will be evaluated for individual storms and in consultation with state officials. The entire campus site will also be constructed 13 feet above sea level to withstand storm surges.

Central Energy Plant: The campus will be served by an on-site Central Energy Plant built to ensure continuous power function even during tropical storms and hurricanes.

Parking: 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 make access to the campus easy and convenient.

Medical Office Building: The new project will 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.

Cape Canaveral Hospital History Quick Facts:

■ Cape Canaveral Hospital opened its doors to serve our community on July 22, 1962.
■ The first and only hospital to serve the beach and barrier island communities in Central Brevard County.
■ Cape Canaveral Hospital provides our community with more than 50 medical specialties.
■ Cape Canaveral Hospital Awards & Recognition:
• Accreditation by The Joint Commission
• Accreditation by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA
• Primary Stroke Center certification by The Joint Commission
• CMS 5-Star Overall Quality Rating
• Accreditation by the American College of Radiology (ACR) in CT, MRI, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine and Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
• Accreditation by the International Commission for Accreditation of Echo Laboratories (ICAEL)
• FDA-certified mammography facility
• Accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) – Laboratory Services and Blood Gas Laboratory
• Named to Newsweek’s “Best Hospitals” list for five consecutive years – 2021-2025

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