For more than two decades, Kitchell and Phoenix Children’s have shared a single purpose: to build spaces that heal, inspire, and advance pediatric care for generations to come. What began as a bold tower expansion has evolved into a systemwide journey — more than 26 projects, each crafted through collaboration, foresight, and an unwavering belief that every child deserves the very best environment for healing.

1. Building the Flagship: The Tower That Transformed Care

It began with a vision — a hospital that could rise to meet the growing needs of Arizona’s children. In 2011, that vision took shape in the form of a striking 11-story, 760,000-square-foot tower that forever changed the skyline of pediatric care in the Valley.

Inside, 168 new beds, 12 operating rooms, and a bustling outpatient clinic came to life — each space designed to support the extraordinary work happening within. Delivered ahead of schedule and under budget, the tower became more than a building; it became the heartbeat of a growing healthcare system.

Over the years, Kitchell returned again and again — expanding the Heart Clinic, building new operating rooms, and transforming entire floors into state-of-the-art environments. The 5th floor’s evolution into a modern CVICU brought advanced technology and serenity together, while the use of BIM technology ensured that every pipe, wire, and system worked in concert. Each improvement told a story of continuity — of a partner invested not just in construction, but in care itself.

2. Expanding Emergency Services: Building Hope, Minute by Minute

Few places demand more precision than an emergency department — and few require more compassion. In 2017, Phoenix Children’s once again turned to Kitchell to expand its emergency and trauma care capacity.

The West Pavilion project added 119,000 square feet of new space and renovated 31,000 more — but its true impact was measured in moments saved and lives touched. Behind the scenes, the work was surgical in its own right. Crews coordinated overnight tie-ins, mapped every phase, and built quietly alongside a fully functioning emergency department to ensure that care never stopped, not even for a minute.

When the doors opened, they revealed more than new rooms and labs. They revealed possibility — a modern Level I trauma center, a hematology–oncology clinic, an infusion suite, and a clinical lab all working in harmony to serve the most vulnerable patients, day and night.

3. Advancing Neonatal Care: A Sanctuary in the Sky

High above the city, the 11th floor of the Phoenix Children’s tower became something extraordinary: a haven for the tiniest patients. The new Level IV NICU, completed in 2024, introduced 48 private rooms, a dedicated neuro-NICU, therapy spaces, and family lounges designed to bring comfort and calm to families in crisis.

Constructing directly beneath an active helipad demanded quiet heroics — advanced acoustical measures, rigorous ICRA protocols, and even a crane lift through a temporary window to keep patients safe. Every detail was deliberate. Every sound, surface, and light was considered.

Here, technology meets tenderness. Every monitor hums softly in rhythm with a heartbeat. Every space reminds families that healing is possible — and that Arizona’s only AAP-designated Level IV NICU stands ready to protect the state’s youngest lives.

4. Expanding Care Across the West Valley: Meeting Families Where They Are

Once, families in the West Valley faced long drives to reach specialized care. Today, thanks to Phoenix Children’s and Kitchell, they find world-class treatment close to home.

The Southwest Valley Center — first opened in 2013 and expanded through 2024 — reflects a region’s transformation. Its 35,000-square-foot emergency department now serves more than 40,000 children every year, while a 71,000-square-foot multispecialty clinic connects families to more than 20 subspecialties under one roof.

Behind every square foot lies a story of growth: of neighborhoods once defined by citrus groves now defined by opportunity, and of a hospital system determined to meet families where they live — ensuring that no child’s care is ever out of reach.

5. Delivering a New Pediatric Destination: Arrowhead Campus Rises

In Glendale, an abandoned citrus orchard became the soil for something transformative — the Arrowhead Campus, one of the Valley’s most forward-looking pediatric destinations.

Completed between 2023 and 2024, the campus includes a 180,000-square-foot hospital, a 45,000-square-foot multispecialty clinic, and a 12,000-square-foot central utility plant — all woven into the fabric of the community. The path wasn’t without challenges: shifting municipal requirements, evolving city projects, and a central plant located just 79 feet from nearby homes. Yet through collaboration with HKS, TRUEFORM, and the City of Glendale, Kitchell kept the project moving — and delivered exactly what was promised. Hear from members of the Kitchell project team as they share reflections from the final stages of construction:

 

What emerged was more than a hospital. The once-silent orchard became a place of serenity and care, framed by a healing garden where light dances through a curving privacy wall. The design language of Phoenix Children’s — bright, welcoming, hopeful — is etched into every detail, inviting families to rest, breathe, and heal. Hear TRUEFORM architect Todd Briggs offer his perspective on how this space came to life:

6. Opening Space for Growth: Building the Future Behind the Scenes

Sometimes, the most transformative projects are the quiet ones — the ones that clear the way for what’s next.

On the Thomas Campus, a 94,000-square-foot office building did exactly that. By relocating nonclinical teams into a modern, light-filled workspace, Phoenix Children’s unlocked the potential to add nearly 100 new inpatient beds and expand family spaces in the main tower.

Even in a volatile market, the project held firm — completing within 0.1% of the original GMP and ahead of expectations. The building’s distinctive angled “gills,” refined through more than ten engineering iterations, carry forward the campus’s architectural rhythm while introducing energy efficiency and sophistication.

And through early collaboration with city partners, Kitchell eliminated a costly sewer reroute and avoided a month-long delay — proof that foresight and partnership remain as vital as concrete and steel.

Strengthening Care for Every Child

From the heart of downtown Phoenix to the farthest reaches of the West Valley, the partnership between Phoenix Children’s and Kitchell has built far more than buildings. Together, they’ve created environments of comfort, courage, and care — each designed around the needs of children and families.

This is a legacy still in motion. A story still unfolding. And as Phoenix Children’s continues to grow, Kitchell remains at its side — building the future of pediatric care, one meaningful story at a time.

 

How do you create a world-class sleep research center in a basement full of unknowns?

For the University of Arizona’s Center for Sleep, Circadian & Neuroscience, it meant navigating undocumented utilities, rerouting major electrical feeders, and reworking layouts in real time. Close coordination between Kitchell and Sears Gerbo Architecture kept the project moving, allowing the team to solve complex conditions as they surfaced.

The result is a fully isolated environment built for precision — controlled acoustics, programmable circadian lighting, and suites designed for long-term, uninterrupted studies. One of its most significant innovations: a 35-foot IV pass-through system that allows treatments without entering the room, protecting the integrity of every study.

Project Executive Alexis Carver and Principal Tom Gerbo share how a challenging footprint became one of the country’s most advanced centers for sleep and circadian research.

“It’s time someone found a better way to manage capital expenditure programs. Someone has…”

With those words, Kitchell introduced a bold new idea to the public sector in the late 70s—Capital Expenditure Managers (CEM). The tagline, paired with a crisp green logo and a no-nonsense brochure, captured the spirit of a company ready to rethink how complex building programs were delivered.

At the time, construction management was still a young concept, gaining traction among public agencies looking for relief from spiraling costs, delays, and fragmented accountability. Kitchell had already built a reputation for innovation in private-sector work, but the team saw an opening—and a responsibility—to bring that same discipline to public projects.

Their first opportunity came with the Amphitheater School District in Tucson, Arizona, which was embarking on a massive facilities program encompassing 15 school sites, seven architects, and eight contractors. As the team prepared to submit its proposal, a last-minute curveball arose: because Kitchell was technically a contractor, the district’s attorney said they couldn’t be considered.

Vern Lindstrom, one of Kitchell’s senior leaders, thought fast. “Give me half an hour,” he said. The team rushed to swap every flip-chart title to “Kitchell Corporation” and submitted the proposal under Vern’s professional engineer registration—the only time he ever used it in Arizona.

That quick thinking paid off. Kitchell not only landed the project but delivered it so successfully that Superintendent Thomas E. Neal later told the Tucson Citizen:

“The service works because it provides a cohesive element: someone who has up-to-date construction expertise and represents the owner right from the start.”

From that milestone, Kitchell CEM was born, its name—Capital Expenditure Managers—reflecting both a pragmatic purpose and an ambitious vision. The team’s green logo hinted at a distinct identity, yet its ethos remained unmistakably Kitchell: resourceful, client-driven, and unafraid to take on new challenges.

Nearly five decades later, that founding spirit still defines Kitchell CEM—proof that finding a better way never goes out of style.

Go First Class.

In the late ’80s, Kitchell Development added 80,000+ SF of modern office space to Scottsdale Airpark, backed by print collateral as sleek as the jets overhead.

  

In the early 1970s, Kitchell helped transform a stretch of ranchland northeast of Scottsdale into one of Arizona’s most recognizable communities: Fountain Hills. The land—20 square miles on the east side of the McDowell Mountains—had been one of the state’s largest cattle ranches until Robert McCulloch Sr., founder of McCulloch Oil Corporation (today MCO Realty), purchased it in 1965. His vision called for a master-planned community with ambition and scale. Today, Fountain Hills is home to approximately 24,000 residents.

Cornelius “C.V.” Wood Jr., McCulloch’s president, brought both vision and experience. Before overseeing the creation of Fountain Hills’ centerpiece in 1970, he had played a central role in developing Walt Disney’s original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, completed in 1954.

At the center of the new community stood a landmark—and Kitchell was the builder that made it possible. In 1971, Kitchell constructed the Fountain of Fountain Hills, which for more than a decade was the tallest fountain in the world and today remains the third tallest globally. Anchored in a 30-acre lake, the structure relied on pumps capable of sending more than 2,000 gallons of water nearly 600 feet into the Arizona sky. At night, under bright spotlights, the fountain became a defining feature of the landscape and a source of identity for the emerging community.

For Kitchell, the fountain was more than a project—it was proof of the company’s ability to deliver complex, first-of-its-kind work. More than five decades later, it continues to define the town’s skyline and stands as a lasting example of Kitchell’s craft.

And Kitchell’s role in Fountain Hills is far from finished. Today, the company is providing Construction Management Services on the Shea Boulevard Widening Project, a critical infrastructure improvement between Palisades Boulevard and Fountain Hills Boulevard. The project will add a new eastbound lane along one of the town’s busiest commuter corridors, which supports more than 2,000 vehicles daily. Once complete, the improvements will ease congestion, improve safety, and strengthen mobility for residents, commuters, and businesses alike. See the project site from above in the aerial image below.

Just as the fountain once marked the bold beginning of Fountain Hills, Shea Boulevard now represents its future—modern infrastructure built to carry the community forward.

 

In 1981, Kitchell opened a new office in Texas, marking a renewed focus on growth in the region. With bold energy and creativity, we announced this commitment through ads as striking as the opportunities ahead. The full ads that captured this spirit are shown below.

That moment represented more than a new office—it signaled Kitchell’s drive to expand beyond Arizona and bring our collaborative approach to an ever-growing region. From those early campaigns to the many projects that followed, our Texas story has always been about building boldly and thinking differently. 

More than four decades later, the foundation strengthened in 1981 continues to guide how we expand, innovate, and serve communities across the Southwest. 

 

Founded in 1895 as Phoenix’s first hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center has long been central to the region’s healthcare story. For more than two decades, Kitchell has advanced facilities and introduced innovations that set new benchmarks in patient care. Since 2002, Kitchell has delivered more than 152 projects totaling over 1 million square feet, all shaped in close collaboration with hospital leadership.

Through advanced planning and innovative approaches, Kitchell has helped CommonSpirit Health (formerly Dignity Health) maximize resources while elevating care environments.

Building for Breakthroughs

The Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) Neuroscience Tower (NST) represented one of the most ambitious expansions in the hospital’s history. At 438,000 SF, the tower added critical space for acute care, imaging, oncology, teaching, and research. Kitchell’s preconstruction and delivery teams partnered with designers and hospital leadership to ensure the tower met the institute’s needs without exceeding budget. By generating 150 cost-saving solutions, the company enabled the addition of a shelled seventh floor at no added cost.

“Through Kitchell’s value engineering process, we walked away with a much stronger sense of the quality and performance elements of their work and a sense of comfort knowing they had made informed decisions.”
— Mark Bittner, Former Area Group Director of Design and Construction, Dignity Health (Now CommonSpirit Health)

A decade later, Kitchell came full circle — transforming the shelled seventh floor into a healing space. The 2006 completion of the Neuroscience Tower is pictured at left; a patient room from the 2018 build-out is shown at right.

   

Beyond its size, the tower became a platform for groundbreaking advancements in care — most notably the installation of the world’s first ZAP-X® Gyroscopic Radiosurgery™ platform. Using computer-controlled robotics, ZAP-X delivers precise radiation while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. The non-invasive outpatient procedure requires no anesthesia or incisions, allowing patients to return to normal activities almost immediately. This installation positioned BNI as the world’s only center to offer the technology, expanding access to advanced care.

Expanding the Reach of Care

Kitchell delivered the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute, the nation’s most comprehensive Parkinson’s disease facility. The expansion doubled patient capacity — adding 10 exam rooms, specialized spaces for tremor and balance testing, therapy and multipurpose rooms, advanced labs, and a rehabilitation gym. This build-out transformed the original center into a destination capable of treating 1,600 new patients annually, uniting clinical, research, rehabilitation, and educational services under one roof. The milestone was marked by Muhammad Ali himself at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Rising to Meet Complex Challenges

The Barrow Neuroplex stands as a milestone in Phoenix healthcare — a 130,050 SF, five-story medical office building delivered through a design-build partnership between Devenney Group Architects and Kitchell. Constructed during the height of a global pandemic on an active hospital campus, the project was delivered on time with seamless coordination.

More than just a building, the Neuroplex brought together critical specialties — including ENT/skull base surgery, neuro-oncology, stroke, and neuroendocrinology — while also introducing an ambulatory surgery center, infusion bays, and expanded research labs. Its hybrid identity, functioning both as an extension of the hospital and as a standalone MOB, freed up clinical space and expanded research capacity by 50%.

Delivering such a complex project was not without obstacles: a postage-stamp site adjacent to an active ER, pandemic restrictions, and intricate tie-ins to existing hospital infrastructure. Kitchell navigated these challenges through advanced modeling, laser scanning, and precision coordination, ensuring seamless integration with the campus. Supporting this effort was a 3D model of the Barrow Neuroplex, which served as a critical tool for planning and execution.

A unitized curtain wall system of 315 panels shaved two months off the schedule while improving installation quality. Expansive glass on the upper levels captures sweeping views, and the floating glass form creates a bold reference to the Barrow name, linking the new MOB to an existing pedestrian bridge with minimal disruption to the campus.

Strengthening the Foundation for Healing

Kitchell’s expertise also extends to critical infrastructure upgrades. In 2024, the company replaced decades-old air handler units on the Ancillary Building — a highly technical project requiring precision logistics. Pictured below, a 300-ton crane was assembled in a tight space near the Neuroplex building, requiring the shutdown of two surface streets. Erected at midnight on Saturday and fully disassembled the following afternoon, the crane enabled crews to place two new units totaling nearly 80,000 pounds — all over the course of one weekend. The work was delivered with detailed planning and a safety-first approach, ensuring no disruption to hospital operations.

The Next Chapter

Looking ahead, Kitchell was recently awarded the CommonSpirit Ivy Brain Tumor Center (IBTC) 4th Floor Build-Out, a 12,000 SF laboratory project.

This project will deliver highly specialized research and laboratory areas, including tissue culture rooms and a freezer farm, advancing IBTC’s brain tumor research initiatives.

Shaping the Future of Healthcare

With more than 152 projects and 1 million SF delivered on the St. Joe’s campus, Kitchell’s partnership with CommonSpirit Health continues to shape the facilities that enable breakthroughs in research, specialty care, and patient outcomes.

Forging the Future of the Built World isn’t just a vision statement — it’s a declaration of who we are and where we’re going. It speaks to the shared drive that unites Kitchell’s people across disciplines and generations — a relentless commitment to build stronger communities, embrace innovation, and shape what comes next.

Across Kitchell, this idea takes form in countless ways: in the strength of our craftsmanship, the creativity of our problem-solving, and the integrity of our relationships.

Here, five voices from across the company reflect on what Forging the Future of the Built World means to them — revealing a collective story of resilience, innovation, and purpose that continues to define Kitchell’s legacy and future.

• Kaley Simon, Market Executive, Kitchell Contractors
  “To come out of the forge is to be made of steel — strong, hardened, and made with care.”
• Johnathan Coates, Senior Project Manager, Kitchell CEM
  “Forging the Future means turning today’s challenges into tomorrow’s solutions. It’s about shaping culture, procedures, and practices that deliver best-in-class service to our teams, clients, and partners across the built environment.”
• JoAnne Bourgogne, Director of Risk Management, Kitchell Corporation
  “Forging the Future means moving forward in deliberate, innovative ways to ensure our company continues to grow and evolve.”
• Kevin Miller, Senior Vice President, Kitchell Development Company
  “Forging the Future means doing what Kitchell has always done — operating with integrity, delivering quality, and evolving with new technology to thrive for the next 75 years.
• Cameron Glass, Director of Justice, Kitchell CEM
  “We don’t just build projects; we create spaces that uphold dignity, spark opportunity, and bring hope to communities. Forging the Future means creating environments that inspire change and serve as a foundation for a better tomorrow.”

As Kitchell celebrates 75 years, Forging the Future of the Built World reflects more than the company’s past achievements — it embodies its promise for the future. Guided by shared values and an unwavering vision, Kitchell’s people continue to build not only remarkable projects, but a lasting legacy of innovation, collaboration, and purpose.

The Foundation for Blind Children (FBC) was born in 1952, when a small group of parents in Phoenix, Arizona refused to accept the idea that the only option for their children with vision loss was to be sent away to an institution hours away in Tucson. Their determination created a place built on belief, possibility, and opportunity.

Five years later, in 1957, Betty Kitchell joined the FBC board. She brought an unwavering conviction that children with vision loss could thrive, and that belief became woven into both FBC’s and Kitchell’s culture. Betty’s story came full circle when she later benefited from FBC’s adult programs—proof of the lasting impact of the vision she helped shape.

Since that time, the partnership between FBC and Kitchell has spanned more than six decades. The company’s involvement has included board service, fundraising, construction management, and even designing the signage at FBC’s current campus. The connection has always extended beyond projects, creating opportunities to witness extraordinary milestones—from rafting the Grand Canyon to watching a blind student land a plane in Washington, D.C. Each moment demonstrates the power of support and the belief that barriers can be overcome.

The relationship continues to grow in new ways. A recent introduction to goalball, a fast-paced sport for athletes who are blind or visually impaired, inspired plans for a full tournament fundraiser in 2026. The event will bring together employees, subcontractors, and partners to raise awareness and strengthen support for FBC’s mission.

For more than 60 years, the partnership has remained steady through changing times and leadership, reflecting a shared commitment to FBC’s mission to provide education, tools, and services that enable independence—and its vision of a world where vision loss is a diagnosis, not a disability.

For 75 years, Sam Kitchell’s belief in giving back has shaped more than buildings—it’s shaped our culture. That spirit lives on through Founder’s Day, our tradition of service.

In 2025, 385 employees rolled up their sleeves, giving 1,182 hours of service across 37 events nationwide—proof that Sam’s vision continues to make an impact. The legacy is strong. The future is brighter.

Watch the video above to see our employees in action, hear their personal stories, and learn more about the organizations we partnered with.