McCarthy Building Companies recently completed “The BIG Outside,” a 10,000-square-foot outdoor play space and healing garden for Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa.

The new play space, located on the northeast side of the medical center, is designed to offer activities and features to help children keep their minds off treatment or to receive rehabilitation therapy outdoors. This includes mini golf, a basketball court, a playground, and a bereavement garden.

“At McCarthy, we’ve built numerous hospitals around the Valley, but projects like this can be integral to the healing process for families impacted by a healthcare crisis,” said Sean Miller, project director for McCarthy Building Companies. “We hope this new play space brings a smile to many faces, young and old.”

Pediatric patients can receive rehabilitation therapy in this new outdoor environment, and parents can reflect and recharge in the healing garden. Siblings can have an upbeat place to spend time with their brothers and sisters, who are hospitalized or receiving treatment.

A group of community members, parents and young patients (ages 3 to 18) across Arizona worked together with Banner Children’s staff and the Banner Health Foundation to raise nearly $520,000 for the project.  McCarthy donated $60k in construction and project management services to the project. 

HKS Architects served as the architect on the project. Subcontractors who participated in the project include Ace Asphalt, Accu-Tech, Apache Concrete Cutting, Apache Pipelines, Arizona Professional Painting, Dave Bang, DH Pace, Diversified Interiors, DLN Landscaping, IES, JFK Electric, KT Fabrication, Lemme Engineering, MF Concrete, PuttTek, Schuff Steel, Site Design and Tenshon.