Spring Break
Health Science building to be torn down, replaced
Osteopathic Medical Center
Hailey Persinger
Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: NEWS
It's been three years since the Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas has been used, but the NT Health Science Center is making plans to use the vacant space.
In a move to expand its campus, the NT Health Science Center will demolish the former hospital on the corner of Camp Bowie Boulevard and Montgomery Street and replace it with a $2.9 million building that Lauren LaFleur, communications director for the NT Health Science Center, said would benefit all center students.
"It's kind of a multi-purpose building that's going to include larger meeting spaces for our students," LaFleur saaid. "It's going to be three lecture halls that can hold 200 apiece, but they can also be opened up into a 600-seat type space."
She said the expansion is coming at a good time since the class sizes at the center have been capped and new students are not currently being admitted. With the extra space, the center will be able to train more students and house offices for more faculty members.
"We've added 70-something faculty members in the last year, and by August 2009 they're going to increase the medical school class size," LaFleur said. "It's about 150 right now and they're looking to increase it to around 200."
At the beginning of this month, the internal structure was the first to be taken down and some of the external areas followed. While those parts of the project have been completed, LaFleur said the bulk of the demolition is still to come.
"The major external demolition will begin the end of February," she said. "The contractors are on a 150-day contract, so they should be done by the end of May."
According to the health science center's Web site, the expansion is part of a 20-year master plan for the campus. In 2005, NT bought the property on which the Osteopathic Medical Center sits, as well as the surrounding areas.
LaFleur said the Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas closed in 2004, and the health science center acted quickly when property was made available for purchase. The purchase nearly doubled the size of the center's campus, increasing it from 18 acres to 33 acres.
Estela Cardenas, who was an intern at the center, said she saw first-hand the cramped quarters at the campus and believes the expansion will greatly benefit the medical study program.
"I thought it was a little bit small, but I think it's better because they have a really good program," Cardenas said. "They're really focused on their students, so I think it's a good idea."
In a move to expand its campus, the NT Health Science Center will demolish the former hospital on the corner of Camp Bowie Boulevard and Montgomery Street and replace it with a $2.9 million building that Lauren LaFleur, communications director for the NT Health Science Center, said would benefit all center students.
"It's kind of a multi-purpose building that's going to include larger meeting spaces for our students," LaFleur saaid. "It's going to be three lecture halls that can hold 200 apiece, but they can also be opened up into a 600-seat type space."
She said the expansion is coming at a good time since the class sizes at the center have been capped and new students are not currently being admitted. With the extra space, the center will be able to train more students and house offices for more faculty members.
"We've added 70-something faculty members in the last year, and by August 2009 they're going to increase the medical school class size," LaFleur said. "It's about 150 right now and they're looking to increase it to around 200."
At the beginning of this month, the internal structure was the first to be taken down and some of the external areas followed. While those parts of the project have been completed, LaFleur said the bulk of the demolition is still to come.
"The major external demolition will begin the end of February," she said. "The contractors are on a 150-day contract, so they should be done by the end of May."
According to the health science center's Web site, the expansion is part of a 20-year master plan for the campus. In 2005, NT bought the property on which the Osteopathic Medical Center sits, as well as the surrounding areas.
LaFleur said the Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas closed in 2004, and the health science center acted quickly when property was made available for purchase. The purchase nearly doubled the size of the center's campus, increasing it from 18 acres to 33 acres.
Estela Cardenas, who was an intern at the center, said she saw first-hand the cramped quarters at the campus and believes the expansion will greatly benefit the medical study program.
"I thought it was a little bit small, but I think it's better because they have a really good program," Cardenas said. "They're really focused on their students, so I think it's a good idea."
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