In a message to faculty, staff, and students today, Saint Louis University President Fred Pestello unveiled additional details, including a site plan for the SLU/SSM $550M academic medical center. The massive project was first reported on nextSTL last June. As previously reported, the project will be built immediately north of Desloge Tower and the existing hospital. The fate of Desloge Tower has still not been determined.
Pestello shared that the 316-bed, 802K sf project has completed the general scope and conceptual design stage and that specifics continued to be determined. He also stated that the project “furthers the progress of the SLU campus master planning initiative, which includes redevelopment of SLU-owned property to the north of these new SSM facilities.” The project is scheduled to be completed by late 2020.
Last year, Saint Louis University purchased the hospital from Tenet Healthcare, which has owned the facility since 1998, when it was purchased from the school. SLU then contribute the hospital to SSM in exchange for a minority membership interest. That deal became official September 1, 2016, allowing for planning on this project to proceed. Selected to design the project were The Lawrence Group in partnership with Hammel, Green and Abrahamson (HGA).
The fate of the land north of the existing hospital and Chouteau Avenue, and even further north, has been highly anticipated since the university’s purchase and request for demolition of the Pevely Dairy complex in 2011. Ultimately, the school was allowed to demolish the majority of the complex, leaving just the corner building. Virtually nothing has changed on the site since then.
The last parcel in the area not owned by the university was recently acquired, giving the school control of several complete blocks of land. The plan calls for the demolition of remaining homes on Hickory Street, and the closure of that street. A new Lasalle Street would be introduced at the north end of the site, adjacent to the Missouri Belting building.
It was previously reported that the project would be built on the existing vacant lot bordered by Hickory and Rutger Streets. The plan revealed today extends the footprint north, and includes the demolition of a few remaining homes, and a couple additional buildings.
The site of the future hospital was largely demolished years ago:
In 2011, the following site plan and rendering were offered SLU, arguing that the corner of Grand and Chouteau needed to be cleared for a new healthcare center:
