Post Construction, You May Not Recognize This Campus

Medical Campus is expected  to open its doors to a new five-story building and a six-level parking garage by spring 2019.  

Both projects are anticipated  to cost $90 million in total. Construction for the building began in February. The parking garage project is expected to start later this fall semester.

The new building, the Center for Learning, Simulation, and Innovation, will be located east of building 2. It will be home to an auditorium, eight new labs, multi-purpose rooms, classrooms, collaborative student spaces and a conference room.

It will also include a simulated virtual hospital, with an operating room, a built-in home environment and ambulance box on the third floor.

The building will also relocate existing programs such as the respiratory, nursing, histology and physical assistant programs.

“In the new learning center, students will be exposed to the latest simulation technology through advanced human patient simulators,” said Ramona Edwards, director of campus administration at Medical Campus. “By using this technology and simulators, students practice and master the necessary skills to effectively care for patients in a controlled environment.”

The new parking garage will have space for 1,552 cars and will be positioned in front of building 1.

For students like Student Government Association President Carlos Torres, the new parking garage will be a welcomed addition.  

“If you don’t arrive before 8 [in the morning] the [student parking] lot might be full and we would have to park in a smaller lot across the street,” Torres said about the current parking conditions at the campus, “and even then, you still might not get a spot.”

According to Torres, because of the lack of parking spots, students also carpool or ride the free shuttles from the Culmer metro station to a trolley stop near campus.

“With a new parking structure, I hope parking becomes less of an issue as times goes on,” Torres said.

The company responsible for the building’s construction is OHL-Arellano—the same company that was responsible for the construction of building 6 at InterAmerican Campus.

Haskell Co. is in charge of building the new parking facility. The corporation was also in charge of the construction of Hialeah and West Campus’ parking garages.

Currently, the 4.3 acre Medical Campus hosts two buildings, features 22 classrooms, 13 labs, and dental, health and vision clinics. The campus enrolls 7,000 students annually.

“Through the establishment of this new building, the college will be well-positioned to support current and future demand for healthcare professionals,” Edwards said.