The 13-story tower will serve as the marquee home of the University of South Florida’s medical school and heart institute and an anchor for Tampa’s burgeoning downtown waterfront district.
Excerpted from USF Morsani:
The formal opening of the new USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute took place Wednesday, 900 days after ground was broken.
“The vast bulk of their first two years, (students) will be in this building, so it really does create a home for them,” said Dr. Charles Lockwood, the dean of the college and senior vice president for USF Health. “It is our bold vision to be national leaders in collaboration and innovation, training the next generation of physicians and pioneering world-changing discoveries,” he added. “There is nowhere better to do this than in downtown Tampa.”
It’s one of the first anchor buildings to open in Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik’s $3 billion redevelopment of the Water Street district.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said the new building is just one step in an effort to transform the city from the ground up: “We are creating a strong, innovative, and exciting city where generations of Tampanians want to come work, live, and play, and we are also attracting individuals from around the world.”
The 395,000 square foot facility is estimated to cost $173 million – about $12 million under budget, according to Lockwood.
In 2019, USF struck a $20 million deal with its primary teaching hospital, nearby Tampa General Hospital. TGH will lease space in the building, including an urgent care clinic on the first floor and clinical practice space on the ninth floor.
According to USF estimates, the building is projected to have a local and statewide economic impact of more than $70 million.