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Commission approves planning funds for University of Tennessee College of Medicine interdisciplinary building in Memphis
Summary
The State Building Commission approved a $10 million planning request for a proposed $350 million interdisciplinary College of Medicine building in Memphis designed to expand enrollment in medical programs from 175 to 225 students in the MD program; commissioners asked staff to consider design options to support later expansion.
The State Building Commission voted to approve a planning request for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) in Memphis to proceed with designer selection and use the construction manager/general contractor alternate delivery method for a new interdisciplinary College of Medicine building.
Associate Vice President Austin Oakes told the commission the project will support more than 3,500 students systemwide, including an increase in the MD program from a current class size of 175 students to 225 students. He said the estimated total project cost is $350,000,000, with $10,000,000 currently requested for planning.
Commissioners questioned whether the building design could be configured to allow future expansion beyond the planned class sizes. Oakes said UTHSC leadership intends to charge the design team with evaluating how the facility could be expanded and that the university would analyze options for building a shell now to reduce future costs. "We would be happy to analyze and explore that with the design team," he said.
A motion to approve the planning request was made and seconded; the commission approved the request by voice vote. The approval authorizes proceeding with designer selection and planning using the CM/GC alternate delivery method; final project approvals, funding and construction contracts will return to the commission later in the process.
