NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Vanderbilt University Medical Center has announced its largest expansion to date.
Construction is set to begin this summer for a new 15-level Vanderbilt University Hospital inpatient facility. The new tower dubbed the "Link Building" will be built on an existing parking lot on 21st Avenue S. and Medical Center Drive. It will provide 470,000 square feet of additional adult inpatient beds, operating rooms, clinics and office space.
VUMC said the expansion is needed to accommodate the growing population. As the region's largest tertiary referral center, the hospital already operates at more than 90% capacity most of the year.
"Prior to 2020, our health system was already experiencing the need for additional capacity to care for critically ill adult patients," said Jeff Balser, president and CEO for VUMC and dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "The unprecedented demand placed on our people and facilities during the pandemic underscored the strategic importance for this new facility. This investment will position the Medical Center to better meet the needs of the increasingly diverse population we serve and strengthen our mission to improve the health of people throughout the region."
Vanderbilt said it will take four and a half years to complete the build. The project will be split into two phases. During the second phase, Vanderbilt says the Oxford House, an administrative building constructed in 1961, will be demolished. The new tower's main entrance and lobby will be built in its place. Additionally, the central parking garage will be expanded by three floors, adding about 600 spaces.
