HOUSTON — Texas A&M University has unveiled plans for a $546 million expansion project at Texas Medical Center in Houston.
The project will include the $145 million acquisition and renovation of the 18-story Texas A&M Engineering Medicine (EnMed) building at 1020 Holcombe Blvd., as well as $401 million construction of two new towers adjacent to the EnMed structure.
The first new building is a 30-story medical tower slated for completion in June 2023. The property will include 72,000 square feet of retail space and 8,700 square feet of green space. The tower will expand the EnMed building’s engineering medicine programs, which include a combination of medical and engineering degrees.
The second new building is a 19-story residential tower slated for completion in June 2022. The project will include 704 beds of student housing and a 3,444-space parking garage. Texas A&M College of Medicine students and Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing students will have first priority to occupy the housing, but students from other institutions can also apply.
The expansion will be part of Texas Medical Center’s planned 1.5 million-square-foot TMC3 translational research campus. With construction scheduled to begin this year for completion in 2022, TMC3 will include 112,000 square feet of collaborative research facilities, 138,000 square feet of retail space, 50,000 square feet of conference space and a 410-room hotel.
EnMed Executive Dean Roderic Pettigrew says that the expansion project and integration of the campus is meant to create “intellectual touchpoints” between medical students and professionals.
“Our most exciting medical breakthroughs are now occurring in hubs of innovation, or what some refer to as ‘innovation districts,’” says Pettigrew. “These spaces are designed to nurture and accelerate the creative process. They co-locate learning and work environments with housing, office, retail, social and networking space.”
Elkus Manfredi Architects, Transwestern and Vaugh Construction will serve as the architectural and development team that will design and build the TMC3 campus.
Houston-based Medistar Corp. will develop both new towers at the EnMed building. Medistar Corp. is also developing Innovation Tower in the Texas Medical Center area. The tower will include 476,500 square feet of medical and life science office space. Phase II of the 1.6 million-square-foot tower may include either residential or additional medical office space.
— Alex Patton