Plans are moving forward on a $450 million health care campus adjacent to Michigan State University.
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on Monday at the University Corporate Research Park in Lansing with officials from Grand Blanc-based McLaren Health Care and the East Lansing university.
The event marked the beginning of construction on the acute care hospital portion of the project, according to a news release. Design and construction on the campus's medical services building and cancer center will begin within the next year.
The new South Lansing campus will be developed on land purchased from the Michigan State University Foundation in its University Corporate Research Park. It will house a 240-bed hospital, cancer center, medical services building and other facilities to support health care, education and research.
It replaces McLaren Greater Lansing and McLaren Orthopedic Hospital, which McLaren acquired in 1997. Talks on the replacement started 10 years ago.
McLaren hired Kramer Management Group for owner's services. Preconstruction programing and planning is being provided by the design-build team of Barton Malow/Christman Joint Venture. The architects are Gresham Smith and Harley Ellis Devereaux and interior design is being completed by Pace Howe Design.
The facilities are expected to open in early 2022 and employ more than 1,000 doctors, researchers, educators and other staff. Construction will require 2,500 jobs, the release said.
McLaren also plans to hire 80 employees to its current workforce of 2,000 when it opens.
The health care network has 14 hospitals and centers, and a 490-member physician network.
"Michigan deserves world-class health care. This partnership with Michigan State University, which builds upon decades of close cooperation between McLaren and MSU, is an important step toward that goal," Phil Incarnati, president and CEO of McLaren, said in the release. "Building this facility in such close proximity to MSU will benefit patients and researchers looking for the best health outcomes possible."
