Shown (from left) are Ron Cooper, Ronald McDonald and Barry Svigals.

New Haven, CT Svigals+Partners’ project team broke ground for a new 28,000 s/f Ronald McDonald House facility at 860 Howard St.

The $16 million residence will replace an older one serving families accompanying a child for extended hospital stays at the Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital.

Petra Construction Corp. is the construction manager.

The Svigals+Ptrs. design is for a larger facility—with more privacy and improved amenities—than typical facilities operated by the client and owner, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut and Massachusetts (RMH-CTMA), allowing the charitable group to keep up with the hospital’s expanding services. To be built in three phases, the new ‘house’ will have 40 rooms with private baths.

The May 11 ceremony on the project site saw New Haven mayor Toni Harp, lieutenant governor Nancy Wyman, other state and local officials, and representative families in attendance. Svigals+Partners founder Barry Svigals, FAIA, also attended with firm partner Jay Brotman, AIA, and project manager and architect Ron Cooper, AIA.

The first phase of the project is expected to be complete in 2017.