Address: 1200 S Columbia Rd
Grand Forks, ND 58201
Scope: KENPAT provided interior finishes including interior framing, ceilings, drywall, and paint.
GC: PCL Community, A Joint Venture
Architect: JLG Architects
Dates: June 2019 – January 2025
Altru Hospital
Executive Summary
The new Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND is a $470 million, seven-story, 552,000-square-foot facility designed to replace the old hospital and transform healthcare delivery in the region. Despite pandemic-related delays and rising costs, the hospital opened in January 2025 with 226 private patient rooms, 12 advanced operating rooms, and state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment spaces
KENPAT was brought onto the project after the original subcontractor left during the pandemic pause. Initially contracted for drywall, KENPAT’s scope grew to include framing, insulation, finish, and paint. By project completion, KENPAT had installed more than 2.8 million square feet of drywall—the equivalent of 64 acres—across critical healthcare spaces. Ultimately, this became the single-largest scope in the company’s history.
Situation
Altru Health System set out to replace aging facility with a modern hospital focused on patient-centered care, privacy, and comfort. The new design called for all-private rooms, NICU and pre/post-operative spaces, naturallight integration, and family amenities.
The project faced significant challenges:
• Design revisions that scaled back and later reinstated the original seven-story plan.
• A construction pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Harsh North Dakota winters and the need to maintain patient care operations at the adjacent hospital
Incorporating natural light was a priority in the design, with over 250 window openings providing a healing environment for patients and boosting the morale of health care workers who spend long hours indoors. Another patient amenity incorporated into the new building was the adoption of single occupancy rooms. This provides patients and their families with privacy, fostering comfort and faster recovery.
Task
KENPAT was tasked with delivering drywall, finish, and paint throughout the hospital. The scope included operating rooms, catheterization labs, patient units, and diagnostic imaging suites where precision installation and finish quality directly impacted functionality, safety, and infection control.
Action
• Rapid Mobilization: With no local office in North Dakota, KENPAT’s project manager built a workforce of more than 300 skilled tradespeople from across the country, including Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and New Mexico.
• Team Orientation & Coordination: Daily “stretch-and-plan” meetings established safety and quality expectations and ensured smooth coordination among trades working in crowded spaces
• Adaptation: Crews worked through extreme winter conditions, adapting clothing layers and schedules to maintain productivity and finish quality.
• Leadership Development The project created opportunities for future leaders, including Franklin Diaz, who continues to serve in a leadership role at KENPAT today.
Result
KENPAT’s proactive planning, adaptability, and craftsmanship turned the team into the project’s “go-to” subcontractor. Originally brought in for drywall, KENPAT’s responsibilities expanded to framing, insulation, and painting across shell spaces.
The result:
• Smooth, durable interiors that met healthcare quality standards.
• A healing environment enhanced by natural light, private patient rooms, and modern finishes.
• On-time completion of one of the most significant healthcare investments in North Dakota’s history.
