The College of Public Health will have a new home, projected in late 2026, in the Health Education Building (HEB) at the University of Kentucky. A website is available to provide ongoing and updated information about construction of the HEB.

The HEB building will be the future site of world-class medical and health education facilities for the UK College of Medicine as well as house programs and services associated with the UK Colleges of Public Health, Health Sciences and Nursing.

This new facility will be the hub for health and medical education, and prepare the next generation of health leaders to help Kentuckians, and everyone, live longer, healthier lives.

Groundbreaking for the building is expected to be in early 2024 with completion in late 2026.

“In our commitment as the University of Kentucky for Kentucky, and with our vision for a healthier Commonwealth, it is vital that we continue to expand and enhance programs for learners across the health care continuum in a transdisciplinary way to continue to grow a high-quality health care workforce for Kentucky,” said UK Provost Robert DiPaola, M.D.

In April, the state legislature approved the budget, which includes $250 million in state bonding authority that — along with funding from university sources — will be allocated for the construction of this new building.

Recently, Turner Construction Company was selected as the project construction manager. Turner’s presence in Kentucky dates back to the construction of a concrete mill for American Woolen Company in 1924.

Since that time, they have completed more than $1.1 billion worth of construction projects throughout Kentucky, ranging in value from $100,000 to $450 Million. Their portfolio of work includes projects of varying complexity for clients such as UK, Toyota Motor Manufacturing of North America, Kentucky Speedway and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The architects and designers for the project also have been selected. JRA Architects and HOK will help establish the health education building as a cutting-edge facility with state-of-the-art technology and modern design, enhancing the educational experience for the next generation of health care leaders in Kentucky.

JRA Architects is a Lexington-based firm with over 75 years of experience and HOK has used its planning and design expertise — including architecture, interiors, health care consulting, lab planning and design, medical education planning, and engineering — to help create and enhance academic medical environments for more than 65 years.

To follow the progress of the HEB, visit https://provost.uky.edu/health-education-building.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $501 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky. 

Original story in UKNOW "UK Launches Website for New Health Education Building" can be found here.