The First Horizon Foundation has committed $5 million to support a major new medical education facility at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences in Memphis.
The funding will go toward the university’s planned $350 million College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building. A groundbreaking for the project is scheduled for Oct. 8.
Tennessee has approved $311 million for the facility, making it the largest state-funded higher education capital investment in state history. UT Health Sciences is also conducting a $50 million fundraising campaign, including $39 million for construction-related needs and $11 million for programs associated with the new building.
First Horizon Chairman, President and CEO Bryan Jordan said the project will help strengthen Tennessee’s healthcare workforce while supporting the Memphis and Mid-South economies. The First Horizon Foundation earlier this year announced it had surpassed $200 million in grants since its creation.
The proposed building, which will be located on Madison Avenue, is expected to span between 275,000 and 300,000 square feet. Preliminary site work is underway, and UT Health Sciences hopes to complete construction by 2029. The project is also expected to receive additional review from the Tennessee State Building Commission.
Once completed, the facility would allow the College of Medicine to increase its annual class size from 175 students to 250. The university’s physician assistant program could also double from 30 to 60 students per year. Global architecture firm HOK developed the building program, while Memphis-based brg3s Architects is slated to design the facility.
