Health Sciences Education Facility

[martykoessel]

The Dayton bonding proposal includes $100 million toward a new Health Sciences Education Facility that would replace the old VFW Cancer Research Center and connected Masonic Memorial Building at the corner of Harvard and Delaware streets on the East Bank campus.

There's a long way to go between this proposal and breaking ground, but I very much hope that if the project goes forward it will include replacement of Diehl Hall, the aging medical school library next door. If you look at a map of the campus, Diehl sits smack dab in the middle of a square formed by the VFW/Masonic Building, Phillips-Wangensteen, a wing of the Mayo Building and the U of M Medical Center. This makes the area awkward and oppressive. Since the Diehl library is nearing the end of its functionality (and according to the U is being considered for decommissioning) and doesn't appear worth preserving from an architectural standpoint, this would be a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone and make the U's medical district considerably more attractive.

[Anondson]

The medical mega block being a massive plug has been a wish of mine to get detailed.

[TroyGBiv]

My husband works at the school - a bunch of legislators toured the current space to learn about why the new building is necessary. This has a ton of momentum.

[martykoessel]

My husband works at the school - a bunch of legislators toured the current space to learn about why the new building is necessary. This has a ton of momentum.

Just out of curiosity, would you or your husband happen to know, TroyG, if there's been discussion of relocating the medical school library from Diehl as part of this project?

[TroyGBiv]

Not sure about that yet. The assumption is that the current facility needs to be completely updated as well. It would certainly make for a more substantial lot to develop... This new structure has med and nursing in it... plus other medical degree programs. When I look at the plot it feels like it is too small a foot print to cover all of the uses. Not sure how tall they are planning... The former head of the Diehl library is going to my mom's tomorrow... maybe I can find out more from her... I know she is still active with them.

[martykoessel]

Not sure about that yet. The assumption is that the current facility needs to be completely updated as well. It would certainly make for a more substantial lot to develop... This new structure has med and nursing in it... plus other medical degree programs. When I look at the plot it feels like it is too small a foot print to cover all of the uses. Not sure how tall they are planning... The former head of the Diehl library is going to my mom's tomorrow... maybe I can find out more from her... I know she is still active with them.

Thanks for checking, TroyG. Much as I'd like to see that space open up, moving a whole library is no small task. And of course it's got to make sense both logistically and financially. Barring a big investment in upgrading Diehl, someday the library will have to go somewhere, but all thoughts on when and where are mere conjecture combined with wishful thinking.

[TroyGBiv]

Sounds like the library is not a decided issue. They are trying to determine the states investment in this building and that will determine the library's location. With the Nursing and Medical schools moving there might be space in those areas to move the library to at least get it in a newer structure. Nothing definitive yet.

[nerdljos]

Have heard that they're running focus groups on this now, from a med student who participated in one.

[Squidward]

Yes, they are conducting focus groups with current students.
I talked with the consultant running these focus groups.
She has worked in this capacity for about 10 years with the University.
She says that historically, her observation was that when the U runs focus groups on proposed buildings, the building gets built within 2-3 years.
Looking forward to this one.

[LearningAsIGo]

This project is going forward. In December, occupants of Masonic Memorial and VFW Cancer Research Center will move out, and in Spring (perhaps April) the buildings will be demolished, with HSEC construction soon to follow, to be completed Winter 2019/Spring 2020. https://www.health.umn.edu/education-tr ... enter-hsec

Worth noting that between this and ongoing Pioneer construction, and I think a few other projects too, Harvard St SE will be a mess. I think the Hub will be substantially complete by the time this construction is in full swing though.