UMKC to Add First Student Housing to Hospital Hill Campus

By Gabriel Circiog, Associate Editor

The first student housing project for the Hospital Hill Campus was recently green lighted by The Board of Curators of the University Missouri System. The panel voted to allow the University of Missouri-Kansas City to issue bonds and request proposals from developers.

Located near the intersection of 25th and Holmes streets, the Hospital Hill Campus includes UMKC’s Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. UMKC Chancellor Leo E. Morton said in a press release that student housing near the Hospital Hill campus would help the university’s efforts to grow enrollment in its health professions schools as well as boost other life-science-related activities in the area.

“About 3,000 students are in our Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy, and we need to grow that enrollment to help meet the growing need for healthcare workers,” Morton said. “Already there are more healthcare jobs than there are qualified people to fill them, and that deficit will grow. We know that 60 percent of our graduates stay in the metro area to practice, so this project will help us attract and retain top talent for the benefit of the region.”

The housing project calls for around 245 beds in an apartment-style design. The development also plans to include a dedicated parking structure which would feature 196 parking spaces. Developers have until March 5 to submit their proposals, according to Bob Simmons, UMKC associate vice chancellor of facilities. The student housing facility is expected to be LEED certified. The addition of student housing is expected to aid in the redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhoods. City leaders also expect it to attract numerous stores and restaurants which would give UMKC students a more diverse campus experience.

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