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The University of Tennessee has made progress on its new $350 million Interdisciplinary building of the Faculty of Medicine in Memphis, the school announced Monday. General contractor Flintco is leading construction alongside design firm HOK and architect brg3s.
The 300,000-square-foot building, to be located on the university’s Memphis campus, will serve as the first dedicated home for the medical school and help train future doctors, according to the announcement.
Once complete, the structure will offer flexible classrooms and advanced simulation spaces, while technology spaces will help educators and other students connect to the school across the state, according to the announcement.
The building is primarily funded by a $311 million appropriation from the state legislature, representing the largest capital investment by the general assembly in an institution of higher education in Tennessee history, according to the news release. this funding was approved in April.
For Tennessee, this construction comes as the state struggles with a physician shortage. there are about 18,800 physicians practicing throughout the stateThat’s about 13 percent below the national average per capita, according to a January study by the Tennessee Hospital Association.
“If we want to make a difference in the health of our state, it has to happen here,” University of Tennessee System President Randy Boyd said in the announcement. “That’s why this is so important.”
The building is expected to be substantially completed by 2029, with full occupancy by 2030, according to the announcement.
Other higher education builds across the country have also made headlines recently. Skanska, for example, signed a contract with the University of Mary Washington to build a new theater and renovate fine arts buildings in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The contract is worth $163 million.
