# UK celebrates construction milestone for $781M cancer center **Published:** 2026-07-15T15:20:41.000Z **Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/uk-hosts-ceremonial-topping-out-new-cancer-and-advanced-ambulatory-building) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-celebrates-construction-milestone-for-781m-cancer-center LEXINGTON, Ky. — University of Kentucky leadership and state officials gathered on July 16 to celebrate a major construction milestone for the new [Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building](https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/uk-hosts-ceremonial-topping-out-new-cancer-and-advanced-ambulatory-building), marking the placement of the final steel beam on the facility's frame. The 550,000-square-foot building will consolidate [UK Markey Cancer Center](https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/markey-cancer-center) services into a single location for the first time, providing expanded capacity for Kentucky's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. The facility will also house a Comprehensive Spine Center, eight operating rooms for ambulatory surgery and other outpatient services. "Every beam placed in this building reflects a larger purpose: creating a future where more Kentuckians can access the most advanced care, groundbreaking treatments and renewed hope without leaving the state," UK President Eli Capilouto said during the topping-out ceremony. The building's consolidated design reflects growing demand for cancer care in Kentucky. Outpatient visits at Markey Cancer Center have grown 57 percent over the past decade, and the new facility includes shelled space for future expansion. The facility will bring together chemotherapy infusion, radiation medicine, multidisciplinary oncology, gynecologic oncology, the breast care center, and hematology and bone marrow transplant services currently spread across six campus locations. Support services including imaging, lab work, urgent care, pharmacy, palliative care and rehabilitation will also move into the building. Markey Cancer Center, which [achieved NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation in 2023](https://medicine.uky.edu/news/markey-cancer-center-attains-ncis-highest-status-2023-09-18t09-42-31), is one of only 56 such centers in the nation. The designation provides access to the latest treatments and clinical trials, with 97 percent of Markey patients coming from Kentucky. Located on South Limestone across from UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital, the building is scheduled to open for patient care in 2028 along with an adjacent 2,400-space parking structure. The project is being constructed by Walsh Construction in partnership with HGA Architects and Engineers and Champlin Architecture. UK HealthCare is funding construction, while state and private funds will support Markey programs in the new facility. ## Sources - [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/uk-hosts-ceremonial-topping-out-new-cancer-and-advanced-ambulatory-building) - [Markey Cancer Center - UK HealthCare](https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/markey-cancer-center) - [Markey Cancer Center attains NCI's highest status as a Comprehensive Cancer Center](https://medicine.uky.edu/news/markey-cancer-center-attains-ncis-highest-status-2023-09-18t09-42-31) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/uk-hosts-ceremonial-topping-out-new-cancer-and-advanced-ambulatory-building.