The hammerhead tower crane that had loomed over the Milman-Kover Cancer Pavilion under construction at Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) was dismantled this past Saturday, marking a major milestone as work advances on the 7-story, 220,000-square-foot facility on the north side of Waldemere Street, steps away from the Jellison Cancer Institute Oncology Tower. Designed by EYP Architects, now part of Page, the pavilion rises on a site once occupied by the former Cape Outpatient Surgery Center and a smaller SMH-owned building at the southwest corner of Floyd Street and U.S. 41, both of which were demolished to make way for the new building and its adjoining parking garage.
Aerial photos from that day show streets surrounding the hospital barricaded to accommodate the crane removal, with large mobile cranes positioned along Waldemere Street as crews scaled the tower crane to begin its disassembly.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Crews began the dismantling by first removing some of the counterweights from the rear of the crane, easing them down with the aid of a mobile crane.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Once those were cleared, rigging teams moved on to sections of the jib, the long horizontal arm of the crane. The first piece was carefully detached and lowered to street level, where it was further disassembled into smaller components before being hauled off-site.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
A second piece soon followed the same process, and in sequence, the remaining sections were gradually taken down until the crane was entirely removed. The operation was carried out in phases to minimize disruption across the active hospital campus.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Façade work on the pavilion has also made significant progress. Along the Waldemere Street elevation, essentially all levels above the ground floor have been enclosed with dark curtain wall glass, accented by horizontal metallic fins. Green sheathing is visible where framing has recently been installed, which will be layered with exterior insulation and finished with stucco. On the Floyd Street elevation, glass and sheathing systems are now being installed as well, gradually covering the remaining exposed portions of the concrete shell.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
The crane had stood over the site for the past year, lifting the structural components that brought the pavilion to its full height, as well as heavy mechanical and electrical equipment for the adjacent support building. The construction team topped out the structure earlier this summer and successfully set a pre-manufactured pedestrian bridge across Waldemere Street, allowing uninterrupted care during construction while linking the pavilion to the existing Oncology Tower.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
Photo by Oscar Nunez.
The Milman-Kover Cancer Pavilion is the third major component of the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, which SMH established to provide patients with advanced treatments, technologies, clinical trials, and supportive care close to home. Construction appears on track for completion in early 2026. Once finished, the pavilion will consolidate a range of outpatient cancer services, including surgical suites, advanced diagnostic imaging, radiation oncology, infusion, integrative care clinics, and a new breast health center. It will join the Radiation Oncology Center, completed in 2020, and the Oncology Tower, completed in 2021, as part of the expanding Jellison Cancer Institute, creating a unified hub for oncology care across the campus.
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