Some large plans are in the works for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

Last Friday, the first step in a plan to build a new medical school was approved by the Finance and Infrastructure Committee during a Board of Trustees meeting. The committee approved $4.2 million for the development plan, including architectural and engineering design, testing, and legal costs, of the new medical campus.

However, the committee approval does not guarantee the project will move forward. According to the Post and Courier, approval from the full Board of Trustees, Commission on Higher Education, Joint Bond Review Committee, and the State Fiscal Accountability Authority is still needed (but expected).

UofSC’s current medical school campus | Image via @scboymom

So, what does the project entail?

Coming in at an estimated $300 million, the project, if approved, will construct an entirely new medical school campus in the BullStreet District. The new campus would include a 130,000-square-foot medical school + an even larger research and laboratory building. The development plan also includes identifying space for other health campus buildings and a parking structure.

The 16-acre site in the BullStreet District for the proposed campus will be donated, according to the Post and Courier’s report, and is located near Prisma Health Richland — a partner with the university.

Why does this project matter?

The lease for the current campus, located on the Dorn VA Medical Center campus on Garners Ferry Road, expires in 2030 + cannot easily be renewed. The building needs $75 million in repairs and rent is expected to increase by $6 million+. Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs needs the space for its own expansion projects.

According to the Post and Courier, the project is also expected to be the largest project completed by a South Carolina public university. For comparison, the Darla Moore School of Business project cost $106.5 million.

What are the next steps?

The Finance and Infrastructure Committee expects to select and hire the service and development team over the next calendar year + begin construction on the project in 2024.