USC Selects Developer for $300M Health Sciences Campus

The University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., recently announced that it has selected a developer for its new health sciences campus in downtown Columbia. Gilbane will spearhead the project’s planning, design, development, and construction after approval by the university’s Board of Trustees in mid-December, according to a university news release.

The 181-acre campus’ first stage consists of two buildings, a medical education building and multidisciplinary research building, totaling 292,000 square feet. Construction is currently scheduled to begin in 2025 and end in 2027. Future developments are slated to include a brain center to expand the university’s McCausland Center for Brain Imaging and offer treatment options to local Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.

“Gilbane has assembled a world-class design and construction team that will provide innovation and expertise to develop a health sciences campus to serve USC and the state of South Carolina for many generations into the future,” said university architect Derek Gruner.

Gilbane has announced plans to partner with numerous local businesses and is aiming for a 30-percent subcontracting participation rate for minority- and women-owned businesses.

“By expanding our capacity to educate physicians and other healthcare professionals, we will increase our impact on the health and well-being of the Palmetto State’s citizens,” said vice president for research Julius Fridriksson. “The new health sciences campus will also provide a cutting-edge settling where our faculty can unleash their drive for innovation in the health sector, discovering new lifesaving and health-promoting technologies through increased research and development.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • El Paso District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, recently announced that construction has begun on a 119,000-square-foot elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Pfluger Architects, Carl Daniel Architects, and LDCM Solutions on the new Davenport Elementary School, which has an expected completion date of 2027.

  • DLR Group Appoints New K–12 Education Practice Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has named its new global K–12 Education leader, Senior Principal Carmen Wyckoff, AIA, LEED AP, according to a news release. Her teams have members in all 36 of the firm’s offices in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Europe, and Asia.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.

  • Photo credit: Elkus Manfredi Architects

    University of Virginia Selects Design-Build Team for New Residential Complex

    The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., recently announced that it has selected a design-build team for a new upper-class residential development on campus, according to a news release. Capstone Development Partners—in partnership with Elkus Manfredi Architects and the Hoar Construction/Hourigan construction team—will move forward with the three-building, 310,000-square-foot housing facility.

Digital Edition