USA to build new Whiddon College of Medicine building

About $140 million in federal, state and individual funding will pay for the construction of the building

An architectural rendering of the new Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama.

The University of South Alabama is planning to build a new facility to house the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine.

John Marymont, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Whiddon College of Medicine, said the initial plan was to renovate and expand the existing building constructed in 1974, but a $60 million appropriate from Sen. Richard Shelby, a $50 million earmark from Gov. Kay Ivey and a $30 million gift from the University of South Alabama Foundation will allow for the construction of a new building.

“This project has been several years in the making,” said Marymont. “This new facility is well deserved for the quality of education we provide and the outstanding research we do here at the College of Medicine.”

The new building will be constructed on the site of the current Alpha Hall East. Plans call for demolishing Alpha Hall East, clearing the site and constructing an L-shaped facility to complement the Health Sciences Building, which houses the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions and the College of Nursing. Construction is slated to be complete in 2026.

The nearly 300,000-square-foot building will be divided equally between education and research, with 67,563 square feet of space for the education wing and 67,651 square feet of space for the research wing. The education wing will include a gross anatomy suite, clinical skills lab, learning studios, small group rooms, a demonstration kitchen, interfaith space and other community spaces. The research wing will have open laboratories that are adaptable and allow for a multi-discipline approach to research. The facility also includes 26,255 square feet of vivarium space, providing for a flexible layout for animal models and dedicated procedure areas.

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The architects on the project are New Orleans-based Eskew Dumez Ripple and global architecture firm Perkins&Will.

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