Tampa City Council has granted approved to Tampa General Hospital’s plans to add a 13-story pavilion to house a new transplant and neuroscience departments.
The city council voted 7-0 on Thursday to rezone the northern end of the hospital’s campus on Davis Islands for the 565,000-square-foot project, which will have room for 144 beds, 32 operating suites and increased intensive care capacity.
In addition, there will be space for education and training, emergency response and sterile processing, along with two floors reserved for future growth, the hospital said.
According to TGH, the tower will be the flagship of a $550 million master facility plan. The hospital calls it a “pillar” in a growing Tampa Medical and Research District, anchored by the main campus and the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine, a 13-story high-rise in downtown's Water Street Tampa area.
“This environment will enhance the abilities of our physicians to provide patients with the highest quality care while also educating the next generation of health providers and pursuing research discoveries to both benefit our patients and improve health care,” said Dr. Charles Lockwood, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the college, a teaching partner with Tampa General.
The project will be paid for through construction loans, hospital funds and philanthropic donations, hospital president and CEO John Couris said in a news release.
“Patients can access best-in-class providers, modern equipment and state-of-the-art facilities,” Couris said.
The project is the latest in a series of expansion announcements by Tampa General. Earlier this month, TGH completed its purchase and rebranding of Bravara Health’s properties in Citrus and Hernando County, including three hospitals. The facilities will be known as TGH North.
In addition, a 6,500-foot facility is planned for Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County.
In November, state Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, submitted a $25 million budget proposal to the Legislature to help pay for a 160-unit housing development, which would provide affordable rental units to TGH employees.
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