On Friday, February 6, 2026, UC Davis Health achieved a major structural milestone with the “topping out” ceremony of the new California Tower in Sacramento. The event marked the placement of the final steel beam atop the 14-story structure, signaling the completion of the building’s primary frame.
The $3.7 billion project is a centerpiece of the university’s Vision 2030 campus plan, designed to modernize the medical center and meet state seismic safety mandates.
The California Tower: A Profile
The new facility is engineered for high-acuity care, incorporating lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to create a more resilient healthcare environment.
Physical Scale: The 14-story hospital and adjacent five-story pavilion add approximately 1 million square feet to the Sacramento campus.
Capacity Expansion: Once open, the tower will provide roughly 334 new inpatient beds, bringing the medical center’s total licensed count to approximately 700.
Acuity Adaptability: Over 250 of the new rooms are designed for maximum flexibility, allowing them to be converted into Intensive Care Units (ICUs) with air isolation during patient surges or disasters.
Specialized Services: The tower will house new operating rooms, an advanced imaging center, and modernized facilities for the regional burn unit and pharmacy.
Strategic Significance & Vision 2030
The California Tower is the final and largest piece of UC Davis Health’s multi-billion dollar expansion, which is currently the largest healthcare capital project in the United States.
| Project Component | Strategic Impact |
| Seismic Compliance | Replaces aging facilities that do not meet California’s 2030 earthquake safety standards. |
| Economic Anchor | Estimated to create thousands of healthcare positions and hundreds of construction jobs for the local community. |
| Regional Care | Reduces pressure on the existing Emergency Department and expands specialized surgical capacity for Northern California. |
Ceremony Highlights
The ceremony followed the long-standing construction tradition where leaders and workers sign the final beam before it is hoisted to the pinnacle of the structure.
Key Attendees: The event was led by UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May, Interim CEO of UC Davis Health Mike Condrin, and project partners from McCarthy Building Companies and SmithGroup.
Safety Milestone: Officials highlighted that the massive structural project has maintained a record of zero safety incidents since its groundbreaking in 2024.
The Timeline: While the structural frame is now complete, the facility will undergo several years of interior outfitting and equipment installation, with the official opening to patients scheduled for 2030.
“A topping out is a chance for us to pause and recognize how far we’ve come. We can now see the future, and it is incredibly inspiring.” — Mike Condrin, Interim CEO, UC Davis Health, Feb 2026
