IU Health downtown hospital plan to get another city review

Indiana University Health’s sprawling, $4.3 billion downtown hospital project, which has been under construction for more than a year, will get another review from city officials this week due to a proposed change in some features.

The Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development is holding a hearing at 10 a.m. Thursday in the City-County Building to review overall site design, which covers 44 acres near the intersection of North Capitol Avenue and West 16^th Street.

The DMD staff is recommending approval if IU Health explains why it changed several items in the plan, including why it wants to build two surface lots for 291 cars on sites that were previously planned for structures.

“Therefore, these lots should be developed, in time, with structures,” the DMD staff wrote. “Staff would require a timeline for the removal of these surface parking lots and development of the lots and for a commitment to be placed upon approval of this request.”

The surface lots are proposed for two areas: one at 323 West 15^th Street (north lot), directly south of the School of Medicine building, which is under construction; and the other at 333 West 14^th Street (south lot).

The DMD has previously approved a seven-story parking garage on the site, which is under construction.

It’s unclear why IU Health was proposing the site changes. In a statement Monday to IBJ, the hospital system said: “On land not currently earmarked for development south of the new IU School of Medicine building, the plan is now to locate two surface parking lots. Most of the campus’ parking needs will be accommodated with existing garages and two new multi-story garages flanking Capitol Avenue (in the South Support Building and the new Capitol View building).”

The Capitol View building a combination medical office building and retail center. The South Support Building is a multi-use logistics center.

IU Health added that its overall landscape plan is still being worked out and will be completed by May 2024.

The DMD staff also noted that landscape plans and plant schedules were submitted for the proposed surface parking lot. But for other greenspace areas, detailed landscaping plans and planting schedules were not submitted.

“For those areas, staff requests that detailed landscaping plans and plant schedules be submitted and subject to planning staff review and approval, prior to installation,” the report said.

Overall, the new petition seeks DMD approval for the overall site plan, including site lighting plans, parking spaces for 264 bicycles in various racks, pedestrian walkways and other features.

The huge area, which spans eight blocks, also includes a rock outcropping area and bermed planted areas, along with three public entrance plazas, an emergency department entrance plaza, and seating, outdoor dining, and outdoor respite areas for the hospital building.

A “pedestrian circulation plan” includes connections to IndyGo’s Red Line, Fall Creek Greenway, Illinois Street Bicycle Lane, and the Canal Walk. Pathways would include a trail along Missouri Avenue and Senate Boulevard (west of Methodist Hospital) from 13th Street to 21st Street, then to Fall Creek Greenway, a trail along 13th Street, from Missouri Avenue to Illinois Street, and trails along Lafayette Street from 13th Street to the Central Canal and along Senate Avenue.

Along with these trails, several trails or sidewalk connections on the campus would be provided to proposed greenspace areas.

The new hospital complex, under construction for more than a year, will sit on a footprint just south of the health system’s century-old Methodist Hospital near Capitol Avenue and 16^th Street.

The estimated price tag of $4.29 billion, announced in January, would place it among the most expensive capital projects in recent Indiana history, in the same league as the BP refinery expansion in northwest Indiana and Duke Energy Corp.’s new Edwardsport power station in southwest Indiana.

The main feature, a new, 16-story hospital with three patient towers, will include 864 patient rooms. The opening is planned for the fourth quarter of 2027.

The new hospital will consolidate much of the existing Methodist Hospital and University Hospital, which is about 1.5 miles southwest on the IUPUI campus. The eight-block expansion will extend IU Health’s footprint from 16^th Street south to 12^th Street and from Capitol Avenue west to Interstate 65.

The complex will include a utility plant, a medical office building and a support building that will contain parking, loading docks and retail space.

It will also be home to Indiana University School of Medicine’s classrooms, which will move from the IUPUI campus in a separate project costing $230 million.

The new cost estimate does not include the cost of demolishing or renovating part of Methodist Hospital. The hospital is a hodgepodge of buildings and wings that have been stitched together over the decades, with mismatched floor plates, uneven ceilings and a conglomeration of electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems.

The architect for the hospital is Indianapolis-based Curis Design, a collaboration of BSA LifeStructures, RATIO Design and CSO Architects. HOK serves as the executive architect.

The construction manager is a joint venture of locally based Wilhelm Construction and Gilbane Building Co. of Providence, Rhode Island.