Tutor Perini Wins $960M UCSF Children’s Hospital Project in Oakland

Tutor Perini’s Rudolph and Sletten Awarded $960M UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Project in Oakland

Oakland, CA – In a major step forward for pediatric healthcare in Northern California, Rudolph and Sletten, a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini Corp., has secured a $960 million contract to build the new UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.

The new facility will replace and expand upon the existing Oakland campus, creating a state-of-the-art hub for pediatric care, advanced research, and family-centered services.

Project Scope and Details

The construction plan calls for:

• A 277,500-square-foot hospital building with seven floors above ground and a full basement level.
• A new 269-space parking structure complete with a rooftop heliport for emergency patient transport.
• Onsite support infrastructure, including a site services trailer.
• Demolition of three existing structures to make room for the new development.

Rudolph and Sletten has already been engaged in preconstruction activities throughout 2025 and is now set to move into full-scale construction this month.

A Longstanding UCSF Partnership

This isn’t the first time UCSF has turned to Rudolph and Sletten. The company previously completed:

• The $196 million Smith Cardiovascular Research Building (2010).
• The $173 million Bakar Precision Cancer Medicine Building (2020).

The UCSF system has long relied on the contractor for its technical expertise in complex healthcare environments.

Part of a Healthcare Building Boom

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The project also highlights a broader surge in healthcare construction across California. With an aging hospital system and stringent seismic safety regulations, major medical providers have been investing heavily in modernization. Suffolk Construction recently opened a new Newport Beach office to capture market share, citing the state’s multibillion-dollar need to upgrade hospitals and research facilities.

Oakland, in particular, has faced unique challenges in balancing community healthcare needs with population growth, seismic requirements, and demand for specialized pediatric services.

Company Growth and Legacy

Rudolph and Sletten has deep roots in California’s construction market. Founded in 1959 in Silicon Valley, the company’s first notable client was Shirley Temple, for whom it built a pool house. Since then, it has delivered projects for major technology firms, hospitals, universities, and life sciences companies.

Tutor Perini’s acquisition of the company in 2005 made headlines, with Engineering News-Record calling the combined firm the industry’s “newest megafirm.” Today, it operates as part of Tutor Perini’s Building Group, which specializes in large, technically complex projects across healthcare, education, and research.

Community and Patient Impact

The new UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital will play a critical role for families in the Bay Area, especially underserved communities in Oakland and the East Bay. Once complete in 2031, the hospital will:

• Expand access to world-class pediatric care.
• Provide cutting-edge facilities designed for family-centered healing environments.
• Support UCSF’s research mission, integrating clinical care with groundbreaking medical studies.
• Meet seismic safety requirements, ensuring resilience against earthquakes.

A Statement from UCSF Leadership

While the contractor announcement came from Tutor Perini, UCSF leaders have long emphasized the need for investment in children’s health. The new facility represents not only a construction milestone but also a commitment to equity in healthcare delivery across Northern California.

Originally reported by Joe Bousquin in Construction Dive.