INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Indiana University Health has outlined plans for a world-class hospital that will consolidate its two Indianapolis adult hospitals on an expanded downtown medical campus.

The plans, filed today with the City of Indianapolis, request a Central Business District special development classification that would provide zoning flexibility to develop the diverse uses proposed for the 44-acre medical campus expansion. IU Health will work with city and state officials, neighborhood groups and other stakeholders on the design, specifications, uses and development standards for the site.

Located just south of the existing IU Health Methodist Hospital campus, the expanded campus will extend from 16th Street to 12th Street and from Capitol Avenue west to I-65. The core of the campus is a new hospital that will be constructed over the next six years and designed to offer pre-eminent care for Indiana over the next half century or beyond. Operations of IU Health Methodist and at IU Health University Hospital, located 1.5 miles away, will be consolidated upon opening in 2026. At that time much of the Methodist Hospital complex will undergo a significant renovation to be integrated into the larger campus.

Combining operations of the two hospitals eliminates costly duplication of high-acuity services while furthering IU Health’s mission by providing world-class, patient-centered care, delivered in ways that are more cost-efficient, accessible and convenient. The oldest portion of Methodist dates to 1908, while University Hospital opened in 1970.

“The time has come to move ahead on this transformative project to revitalize our downtown facilities,” said Dennis Murphy, president and CEO of IU Health. “It has taken us several years to imagine, analyze, and decide how best to proceed. Together with city officials, neighbors and other partners, we are designing a campus with a destination hospital to provide state-of-the-art care for future generations of Hoosiers.”

The preliminary blueprint for the new hospital calls for a distinctive building of three glass-fronted towers of about 10 stories with a rooftop helipad and enclosed walkways to nearby buildings and a parking garage. An energy-efficient, LEED-certified design will ensure a healthy and comfortable indoor environment, while the site will be sculpted as a green campus to manage pollution and limit runoff into the White River.

The multi-tower design can flex to hold up to 576 private patient beds and expansive outpatient care areas. Once renovated, parts of the Methodist complex will be connected to the new hospital via walkway and provide additional beds and exam rooms and other clinical space.

“The coronavirus pandemic has critically influenced the design of the new hospital and campus, reinforcing the need for a flexible design with acuity-adaptable spaces, including sufficient intensive care units to handle surges of ill or infectious patients,” said Dr. Ryan Nagy, president of IU Health Methodist and University hospitals. “The new hospital will enhance the patient experience and our workforce will benefit from a design that supports more efficiency in care delivery and operations.”

The new hospital is estimated to cost $1.6 billion. Also planned on the campus are research and education facilities for IU School of Medicine to house its physicians, faculty, students and scientists.

The new campus will amount to one of the most notable construction projects in the history of Indianapolis and the largest investment yet by IU Health toward its mission to make Indiana one of the healthiest states. IU Health also is replacing hospitals in Bloomington and Frankfort while expanding IU Health West Hospital in Avon, and recently opened a cancer center at IU Health North Hospital in Carmel, at a combined cost of over $500 million.

At Riley Hospital for Children in downtown Indianapolis, which is remote from the new campus but will be an integral part of its care mission, a maternity and newborn health center is being built that will hold birthing services moving out of Methodist in 2021.

Development of the new hospital and campus will bring significant business opportunities for veteran, women and minority-owned businesses and local companies under IU Health’s supplier diversity program. The program aims to award 25% participation on design and construction projects to certified veteran, women and minority-owned businesses and achieve at least 50% local business participation.