Burke Rehabilitation Hospital Announces Major Expansion

WHITE PLAINS-Officials with Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains report the completion of two new facilities at its 60-acre campus–the Burke Adult Fitness Center and the Burke Educational Facility. Hospital officials projected the total cost of construction, which involved the extensive renovation of a historic building, was approximately $5.5 million. The two new facilities were incorporated into the building that was constructed in 1915.

The Burke Adult Fitness Center is a 6,788 sf facility that is designed for older adults–ages 45 and older–and features exercise equipment, a sports center for group programs, showers and lockers. The Burke Educational Facility is an 11,178 sf facility with two high-tech conference rooms, a computer room, three classrooms, in-house audio equipment and Internet access stations. The facility is designed for Burke’s internal programs and can also serve as a venue for outside organizations, hospital officials say.

Discussing the challenges of renovating the historic building to accommodate the two new facilities, David Busing, principal of Busing Associates Architects, says, “Designed as a hospital in 1915, this building presented exceptionally interesting challenges and possibilities. The building needed to be upgraded to meet today’s code standards for fire safety, energy usage, accessibility, lighting and communications. New spaces needed to be accommodated within the existing structural frame. All of this needed to be done with respect for the original building design.”