Come spring, the penultimate construction phase begins on UB’s new medical school, bringing the vision of a downtown academic health center that much closer to reality.
Largest Construction Phase Set for UB’s New Downtown Med School
Published October 20, 2014 This content is archived.
Story based on news release by Ellen Goldbaum
The contract for the second — and by far the largest — phase of construction has been awarded for the University at Buffalo’s new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
LPCiminelli is expected to begin phase two construction in the spring of 2015 and continue until the building’s completion in early 2017.
The second of three phases, the $226 million project involves building the school’s facade and roof; completing all plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems; and finishing the interior.
US' Largest Medical Ed Building under Construction
At 650,000 square feet, the new school is the largest medical education building under construction in the nation.
It will anchor Western New York’s first comprehensive academic health center — a dynamic, interconnected environment on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus that will bring together superior medical education, clinical care and research to improve patient care and health outcomes.
HOK, the global firm that designed the new school, has produced a fly-through video that highlights many of its features, including a seven-story atrium, state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories.
Recruiting New Faculty, Training More Physicians
When the $375 million medical school is complete, it will house some 2,000 UB faculty, students and staff.
UB is recruiting 100 new faculty members to the school — world-class physician-scientists and specialists who will teach, bring expertise in much-need clinical specialties to the region and help develop medical training programs in important new fields.
The medical school will train more physicians as well, its class size increasing from 140 to 180 students.
Third- and fourth-year medical students will start attending classes and labs in the new building during the spring of 2017, with all medical students expected in by August 2017.
Accentuating Sustainability, Diversity
The downtown school will be constructed atop a new metro station, promoting community connections and sustainable transportation.
Demonstrating UB’s commitment to environmental and energy stewardship, the building is on track to receive LEED Gold certification — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
LPCiminelli’s plans for minority- and women-owned business participation in the construction project exceed the State University of New York’s goals for both categories — objectives that also align with UB’s business practice.
The firm was the lowest of three bidders for the medical school’s second construction phase; in March, it won the contract for the first.
First NYSUNY Challenge Grant Recipient
The new medical school was the first project to receive NYSUNY Challenge Grant funding provided by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo when he signed the NYSUNY 2020 bill into law in 2011.
Both private philanthropy and state support will fund construction.