$600 Million-Plus in Capital Improvements Better Position UT Health Sciences to Train Tennessee’s Healthcare Workforce

A $1.2 million campus fencing project is designed to define the perimeter of the Memphis campus to promote increased visibility for the university in the community.

The University of Tennessee Health Sciences is in the midst of an unprecedented capital improvement program with $632 million in completed, active, and planned investments for the Memphis campus, including a planned $350 million College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building.

This is part of a larger effort to invest in the UT Health Sciences campuses across Tennessee in partnership with clinical partners in the coming years. A comprehensive Capital Master Plan update is underway, which will inform future investments in the university's campuses in Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville and Chattanooga.

"UT Health Sciences' capital improvement program represents a coordinated and disciplined approach to campus development across our statewide footprint," said Raaj Kurapati, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer.

"The plan integrates modern academic facilities, resilient infrastructure, safety compliance and strategic planning designed to strengthen the university for long-term excellence," he said.

Future Focused

In April, the Tennessee General Assembly approved $311 million recommended by Governor Bill Lee for the construction of a new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building on the Memphis campus. This was the largest state-funded capital project for higher education in the history of Tennessee.

The planned $350 million College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building will help UT Health Sciences train professionals across the six colleges to provide state-of-the-art team-based health care.

UT Health Sciences is currently in the midst of a $50 million philanthropic campaign for the remaining cost of the building, which includes $39 million for capital needs and $11 million for programmatic support for the building.

Projected for substantial completion in 2029, the building will help the university combat the projected shortage of healthcare professionals in Tennessee, allowing for the expansion of the medicine class from 175 to 250 per cohort. It will also enable the Physician Assistant (PA) Program, which is ranked No. 1 in Tennessee, to grow from 30 to 60 students per year.

Located on Madison Avenue between the College of Pharmacy Building at 881 Madison and the former Holiday Inn building site at Madison and Pauline Street, the 300,000-square-foot building will refresh the Memphis campus footprint, serve as a hub for training across the university's six colleges, and anchor other capital investments the university is undertaking in the surrounding Memphis Medical District. Groundbreaking is set for October.

Defining the Campus

A $1.2 million campus fencing project on the Memphis campus is set for completion this summer. It is designed to improve safety and better define the perimeter of the campus to promote increased visibility for the university in the community.

The decorative brick-and-metal fencing with branded signage marks the campus boundaries.

"While the Memphis community knows the outstanding work we do as an academic, clinical and research institution, we often hear many are not familiar with our physical campus," Kurapati said. "This project outlines our campus."

He said the fencing is part of a larger effort to use infrastructure, camera technologies, and human resources to create a safe and secure environment that helps move the campus toward being a destination, as opposed to a commuter campus.

"I think the vision is to really create an environment people will come to and actually spend time," Kurapati continued. "Part of the reason why we brought down the Holiday Inn (at the corner of Madison and Pauline) is to create additional space where we can develop the entry to campus." The $12 million demolition of the old Holiday Inn tower was completed in February.

"I think the vision is to really create an environment people will come to and actually spend time."

Raaj Kurapati

"The College of Medicine building is going to be, obviously, kind of like the star facility, but on the corner of Madison and Pauline, we want to build a multi-use facility that has housing, apartments, retail, restaurants, most likely through a public-private partnership," Kurapati said. The university has acquired the SoMA Apartment Complex adjacent to the Holiday Inn site for $4 million with plans to demolish the building to support the development.

The old Holiday Inn Building at the corner of Madison Avenue and Pauline Street was demolished recently to make room for future projects.

Some Current Memphis Projects

• Gross Anatomy Laboratory renovation: The current lab is outdated. The state appropriated approximately $30 million and UT Health Sciences contributed approximately $2 million for a total cost of approximately $32.6 million. The new lab will occupy the top floor of the General Education Building at 8 South Dunlap, featuring modern ventilation and safety systems that enhance anatomy instruction. The project began in December 2025 and is expected to be complete in August 2027.

• Nash Building build-out: Located behind the Mooney Building in the Historic Quadrangle, the Nash Building is being completed in phases as dedicated research space. The second through fourth floors are complete and occupied by Department of Physiology faculty. Plans include a $10.7 million vivarium in the basement and dry lab space on the first floor.

• Cancer Research Building: A $10 million renovation of the 4^th floor of the Cancer Research Building to enhance research capabilities is in design development with anticipated completion in 2027.

• New lighting and analytics-enabled camera systems will enhance monitoring of parking and building perimeters.

Major Completed Projects

• The College of Dentistry Family Practice and Research Building: $41.4 million was spent from 2020 to 2024 to expand instructional and clinical capacity to enhance the training of dentists and dental hygienists in Tennessee. Additionally, $1.25 million in renovations to administrative and instructional space in the Dunn Dental Facility is in design development.

• Campus roofing Improvements: $15.9 million was spent on campus roof, parapet, and flashing replacements from 2021 to late 2025

• CHIPS improvements: $1 million in upgrades in simulation and instructional technologies were completed in August 2025 in the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation (CHIPS) at 26 South Dunlap. The technology improvements enhanced the $39.7 million CHIPS building, completed in 2016, a major training site providing healthcare simulation and interprofessional education to students from all UT Health Sciences colleges.

• Elevator modernization: An $8.22 million campuswide elevator replacement initiative began in 2020 in major academic and administration buildings. The project is expected to be completed this summer.

A Good Partner

UT Health Sciences works collaboratively to spur economic growth in the Memphis Medical District, which surrounds the Memphis campus.

• UT Health Sciences leased property for the $70 million investment by the Turley Company in the Orleans Station apartments in the heart of the Memphis Medical District and adjacent to the university.

• Several other planned public-private partnership projects are expected to be included in the university's Master Plan. These could translate into an additional $200-plus million in investments in the university's campuses across the state over the next five years.

A Guiding Plan

A campuswide space utilization study continues to guide space allocation, renovation priorities, and demolition of obsolete facilities. This analysis informs both the updated Campus Master Plan, set for completion by the end of the year, and the current planning for the new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building, expected to begin construction this fall.

"The portfolio demonstrates UT Health Sciences commitment to operational sustainability, academic leadership, and responsible stewardship of public resources," Kurapati said. "Additionally, the capital improvements enhance the university's commitment and ability to train the healthcare workforce for Tennessee.