UK hosts ceremonial ‘topping out’ of new Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 16, 2026) — University of Kentucky leadership, state leaders and Walsh Construction hosted a ceremonial “topping out” celebration for the new UK Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building. The 550,000-square-foot facility will become the new home to the UK Markey Cancer Center, Kentucky’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as a Comprehensive Spine Center, ambulatory surgery space and other outpatient services. 

“At the University of Kentucky, we believe our work should leave a lasting mark on the Commonwealth we serve,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “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.”  

“When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I spent many hours at the Markey Cancer Center by her side. During that time, I came to appreciate not only the remarkable physicians, nurses and researchers who care for patients every day, but also the resilience of the families who travel from every corner of Kentucky in search of hope,” said Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers. “That’s why today’s milestone means so much. This facility is about far more than bricks and mortar. It’s about ensuring more Kentuckians have access to world-class cancer care closer to home. For the families who walk through these doors, those achievements aren’t just academic distinctions; they represent hope. This investment will strengthen Kentucky’s ability to deliver exceptional care today while advancing the research that will improve lives for generations to come. That’s the kind of legacy worth building.”  

UK broke ground on the project in April 2024. In construction, “topping out” refers to the placement of the final steel beam on a building’s frame. The ceremony is a symbolic milestone that celebrates the building’s progress and the hard work put in by the construction and design teams. Faculty, clinicians and staff from the programs that will call the building home had the chance to sign the beam before it was raised into place.  

With outpatient visits at Markey Cancer Center growing by 57% over the past decade, the new facility is intended to increase Markey’s capacity to serve patients across the Commonwealth, including shelled space built in for future growth.  

“Today’s milestone celebrates the steel and craftsmanship that made this building possible, but its true value will ultimately be measured by the lives it changes,” said Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe. “This facility will help more Kentuckians receive nationally recognized cancer care closer to home while strengthening Kentucky’s flagship research university and academic medical center and preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. Although this building stands in Lexington, its impact will be felt across the commonwealth through better care, groundbreaking research and new opportunities for patients and families. Projects like this reflect years of collaboration and sustained commitment from the University of Kentucky, healthcare leaders, private partners and stakeholders who share a common goal of improving lives. I look forward to seeing the discoveries made here, the care delivered here and the difference both will make for families across Kentucky.”  

“Markey was founded on the idea that no Kentuckian should have to leave the state for the best cancer care,” said Markey Cancer Center Director B. Mark Evers, M.D. “This building builds on that promise. It will change how we deliver cancer care, how our clinicians and researchers work together, and how patients experience their time with us — bringing us closer to our ultimate goal of conquering cancer in the Commonwealth.”  

Markey’s services are currently spread across six areas of the UK campus. The new building will bring those services together in one location for the first time, including chemotherapy infusion, radiation medicine, multidisciplinary oncology, gynecologic oncology, the breast care center, and hematology and bone marrow transplant.  

Support services such as imaging, lab services, urgent care, pharmacy, palliative care and rehabilitation will also be part of the new building, along with expanded capacity for Markey’s Precision Medicine Clinic and its Cellular Therapy Program, which together offer the only early-phase clinical trials for adult cancer patients in Kentucky. Markey is one of only 58 cancer centers in the nation to hold NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation, which gives patients access to the latest treatments and clinical trials.  

In addition to cancer services, the building will house a new Comprehensive Spine Center, bringing together experts from orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurosurgery and anesthesiology. The center will also have a dedicated floor for ambulatory surgery, with eight operating rooms built to accommodate endoscopic procedures as well as cancer-related surgeries.  

“This facility was developed with patients at the center of every decision,” said Mark Filburn, UK HealthCare chief of ambulatory clinics. “It’s been thoughtfully designed to create a welcoming, therapeutic and healing environment that supports patients and families throughout their journey. The true impact of this facility will not be measured by its walls, but by the lives touched within them.”  

The UK Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building is located on South Limestone across from UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital and is slated to open for patient care in 2028 along with an adjacent 2,400-space parking structure.  

“This new facility isn’t just bricks and mortar — it’s going to be a place where families bring their loved ones for help, where patients get the care they need to recover and thrive, and where doctors, nurses and staff have the tools and spaces they need to do their best work,” said Eric Radloff, The Walsh Group vice president and business group leader for healthcare. “Milestones like this give us a chance to acknowledge the people who made this possible: our construction crews, engineers, architects, project managers and every single person who’s worked through early mornings, late nights and all kinds of weather to keep us on track.”  

Construction is funded by UK HealthCare. State and private funds will support Markey programs in the new facility. Project partners include Walsh Construction, HGA Architects and Engineers, and Champlin Architecture.