The Daily Dig
Children’s Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center topped out Moody Children’s Hospital on September 29, 2026. The final beam now sits atop the 12-story frame at the center of their $5 billion pediatric campus in Dallas.
The campus is rising in the Southwestern Medical District, directly across Harry Hines Boulevard from William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. Once complete, it will replace Children’s Medical Center Dallas.
Room to Grow
The hospital will hold 552 beds spread across three towers.
According to the owners, the full campus will span more than 5 million square feet. They say it will significantly expand inpatient, surgical, and ambulatory capacity for North Texas’ growing pediatric population.
The plans include a Level I pediatric trauma center with 90 emergency department exam rooms. Two helipads and a new outpatient building round out the major program pieces.
Who’s Holding the Hard Hats
McCarthy Vaughn Partnership is building the campus as construction manager at risk. The joint venture pairs McCarthy Building Companies with J.T. Vaughn Construction, working from designs by HKS and Perkins&Will.
On the trade side, Tutor Perini announced in July 2026 that their subsidiary Fisk Electric had won an electrical contract worth about $143 million. That award covers electrical systems for a portion of the facility.
Moving Mountains (of Dirt)
Getting to this point took serious site work. Crews removed 60,000 truckloads of dirt and diverted 88 million gallons of water from the site.
The project will need 37,000 tons of rebar before it’s finished. About 1,700 workers are on site every day to keep it moving.
Work began in October 2024, and the owners are projecting an opening in 2031.
“Today’s topping out is much more than a milestone in construction,” said Christopher J. Durovich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Health.
Snapshot:
Project: New Dallas Pediatric Campus, Moody Children’s Hospital
Owners: Children’s Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center
Location: Southwestern Medical District, Dallas, TX
Sector: Healthcare, pediatric
Value: $5 billion
Delivery Method: Construction Manager at Risk
Construction Manager: McCarthy Vaughn Partnership (McCarthy Building Companies and J.T. Vaughn Construction JV)
Design Team: HKS and Perkins&Will
Electrical (partial scope): Fisk Electric, a Tutor Perini subsidiary, about $143 million
Campus Size: More than 5 million sq. ft.
Beds: 552
Towers: 3
Hospital Frame: 12 stories
Key Program: Level I pediatric trauma center, 90 ED exam rooms, outpatient building, two helipads
Construction Start: October 2024
Milestone: Topped out September 29, 2026
Projected Opening: 2031
Daily Workforce: About 1,700
Earthwork: 60,000 truckloads of dirt removed
Water Diverted: 88 million gallons
Rebar: 37,000 tons
Named For: Moody Foundation
Replaces: Children’s Medical Center Dallas
TheJobWalk Thoughts
Topping out closes the structural chapter, but hospital schedules usually get tested after it. Fitting out 552 inpatient rooms is the kind of repetitive scope where prefabricated headwalls and multitrade racks tend to pay off.
On a job this far along, the major trade packages are usually spoken for. For subs and suppliers, the realistic opening now is tier two work, supplying and supporting the trades already under contract.
At 1,700 workers a day, this project is a real draw on the local trade pool. Contractors staffing nearby jobs should factor that potential pressure into crew planning.
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