UC Davis Health California Tower Reaches Topping‑Out Milestone

McCarthy Building Companies and SmithGroup Top Out UC Davis Health California Tower

Milestone marks major progress on landmark Northern California healthcare project including a 14-story hospital facility and a five-story pavilion

McCarthy Building Companies, in collaboration with SmithGroup and UC Davis Health, recently celebrated the topping out of the California Tower at UC Davis Health, marking a significant construction milestone with the completion of the building’s structural steel frame.

Project partners, field teams and leaders gathered on site to recognize the achievement, continuing the long-standing construction tradition of topping out and celebrating the collective effort that brought the structure to its full height, featuring 22,000 pieces of steel weighing 15,000 tons. The milestone also signals ironworkers are nearing completion of their work on the tower as the project transitions into its next major phase.

“As a community builder, there is a huge sense of pride that comes with seeing this building now standing tall across the Sacramento Valley and knowing we’re not only changing the skyline, but we’re also changing the community,” shared John Stanley, Vice President Operations at McCarthy. “The partnership with SmithGroup and all of our design professionals has been the true example of what progressive design-build can deliver for our clients and communities.”

The California Tower represents one of the largest and most complex healthcare projects undertaken by both McCarthy and SmithGroup. Delivered through a progressive design-build approach, the project team has worked in close coordination from early planning through construction to drive efficiency, maintain safety and keep progress moving forward.

“What began as a bold design vision five and a half years ago is now rising into reality,” said Chee Keong Lin, Vice President, Health Studio Leader at SmithGroup. “As the California Tower takes shape, it reflects a shared commitment to elevating healthcare across the region and serves as a catalyst for a healthier future. This milestone highlights the talent and dedication of every partner and represents the hopes of the patients, families and providers who will one day rely on it.”

The project team reached the milestone of structural steel top-out weeks ahead of schedule, reflecting strong coordination among trade partners and the use of innovative engineering and construction strategies, including advanced seismic design features that enhance the building’s resilience while supporting construction sequencing. McCarthy’s structural trade partners were instrumental in reaching this milestone, including Schuff, Pacific Erectors, Conco, Olsen Steel, Maxim and McCarthy’s self-perform concrete team.

Construction on the tower is well underway, with the overall project approximately halfway complete. Work began in 2020, and the full buildout is designed to significantly expand UC Davis Health’s ability to provide advanced, patient-centered care for the growing Northern California community.

When completed in 2030, the California Tower will include a 14-story hospital facility and a five-story pavilion, adding hundreds of private patient rooms designed to support recovery and help reduce infection risk. The state-of-the-art facility will connect directly to the existing Surgery and Emergency Services Pavilion and will feature specialized procedure spaces, advanced imaging and critical support services.

The project is also actively supporting UC Davis Health’s Anchor Institution Mission to positively impact economically distressed communities in the Sacramento region through hiring and purchasing locally. To date, the California Tower project has contracted over $15 million to small and local businesses, with another $30 million of contracts to be awarded. Additionally, the project is focused on employing local labor, with over 11,000 hours of local labor already contributed to the project.

Once complete, the California Tower will play a vital role in supporting UC Davis Health’s mission to deliver leading-edge care, education and research for decades to come.

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About McCarthy

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (McCarthy) is the oldest privately held national construction company in America. With more than 160 years spent collaborating with partners to solve complex building challenges on behalf of its clients, McCarthy is committed to delivering superior results and creating great experiences for everyone. McCarthy approaches every job with the mindset of a true builder. By self-performing critical scopes of work, McCarthy delivers accountability and consistency from start to finish. Through industry-leading design phase and construction techniques, combined with value-add technology, McCarthy drives smarter solutions and maximizes project outcomes. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work and Healthiest Employer, McCarthy is ranked the 15th largest domestic builder (Engineering News-Record, May 2025). With over 8,000 salaried employees and craft professionals, the firm has offices in St. Louis; Atlanta; Collinsville, Ill.; Kansas City, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; Phoenix; Chandler, Ariz.; Las Vegas; Denver; Austin, Channelview, Dallas, and Houston, Texas; and San Diego, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, Calif. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com or by following the company on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. 

About UC Davis Health

UC Davis Health is a nationally recognized academic health system known for excellence in patient care, groundbreaking research, and interdisciplinary education. Comprising the UC Davis Medical Center, UC Davis School of Medicine, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, and an extensive network of outpatient services, UC Davis Health is dedicated to improving health and well-being locally, nationally, and globally.

SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is one of the world’s preeminent integrated design firms. Working across a network of 20 offices throughout the U.S., our team of 1,600 experts is committed to excellence in strategy, design, and delivery. The scale of the firm’s thinking and organization produces partnerships with forward-looking clients that maximize opportunities, minimize risk and solve their most complex problems. SmithGroup creates exceptional design solutions for healthcare, science and technology organizations, higher education and cultural institutions, urban environments, diverse workplaces, mixed-use and waterfront developments, and parks and open spaces.