Park Central, one of Phoenix’s most iconic properties, will host a major step towards change of the city’s healthcare landscape.
Creighton University – a Jesuit, Catholic University based in Omaha, Nebraska – has agreed on the construction of a new health sciences campus in midtown Phoenix, with the project to cost nearly $100 million. The deal helps Creighton continue to grow its presence within Arizona.
The project’s first phase consists of a 200,000 square foot new building that will house roughly 800 Creighton health sciences students in the state. Expansion of the project will include a four-year medical school, nursing school, occupational and physical therapy schools, pharmacy school, physician assistant school, and an emergency medical services program. There is a possibility for a second building to be added in the future, which would be located adjacent to the first building.
Central Avenue on the Park Central Property will be the location for the 200,000 square foot building, with the land currently occupied by a parking lot. Construction on the new building will commence in the spring 2019 and plans to be completed in spring 2021. The project will lead to the first construction on the Park Central site in decades.
Until the building is completed, the college of nursing which launched in Phoenix in January will move into a temporary Park Central location starting January 2019. The school of medicine which launched in the city in 2009 will use a space adjacent to Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital.
The new Creighton campus will provide everything that is needed by the current student population, along with allowing plenty of space for future expansion. The location in central Phoenix proves beneficial for students completing additional coursework at nearby hospitals.
“Creighton University is preparing for an exciting new era in Phoenix, one that combines our tradition for educational excellence in the health sciences with our distinctive Jesuit, Catholic mission,” said the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, president of Creighton University. “Creighton University has strong connections to the Arizona medical community, and we look forward to expanding our impact by educating many more exceptionally qualified health care professionals to serve the community moving forward.”
The expansion of Creighton in Phoenix helps meet a growing demand for healthcare professionals moving forward. In June 2018, the university school of medicine sponsored medical education training programs with multiple area health organizations that include 11 programs and 325 students.
The organizations that make up that group will be based out of the new Park Central location and intend to work together to grow the current programs and develop new programs in varying medical fields.
“For more than a decade, Creighton University has been a key partner in helping Arizona train highly skilled health care professionals,” said Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. “Their significant new expansion and investment will help to meet our state’s growing need for healthcare professionals in the coming years, and it’s yet one more way that Arizona is solidifying its reputation as a premier destination for excellence in health care.”
Many other figureheads within the community are excited to see what comes from the new agreement, including Phoenix Mayor Thelda Williams.
“Creighton’s investment in our community will create new jobs and bring new life to a critical property in the heart of midtown Phoenix—but what’s more, it moves us closer to transforming our economy into one rooted in competitive, forward-thinking industries,” said Williams. “I want Phoenix to be a destination for world-class medical education, research, healthcare and solutions, and our growing partnership with Creighton University is going to help us get there.”
The Phoenix community and Creighton have worked together successfully for over a decade, with the mutually-beneficial relationship continuing to strengthen.
“Creighton University has long had a presence in Greater Phoenix, but their decision to continue expanding here is an indication of the growth and demand we’re seeing in the industry regionally,” said Chris Camacho, president & CEO of Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “As one of the most innovative medical schools, graduates of their health sciences programs will continue to feed the rapidly growing healthcare sector.”
