NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- Construction has begun to expand Eastern Virginia Medical School’s campus. The $80 million, 11-story EVMS New Education and Academic Support Building will stand on the corner of Brambleton and Colley Avenue.
EVMS President Dr. Richard Homan said the building is needed on campus due to a growth in enrollment over the past several years.
“We've had more medical students and more health professional students and this provides an opportunity to be able to train more of the health professionals, which will meet the healthcare needs of the region and beyond,” said Homan.
EVMS 4th year medical student Andrew Hogrogian said the campus can feel cramped at times and said the new building will be good for students.
“You get in the stacks and you get these little cubicles,” said Hogrogian. “It is what it is... it’s fine. There’s always room for improvement.”
Fourth year PhD student Brook Williams added, “Since we're a smaller program we usually get stuck in the smaller conference rooms that sometimes don't have enough space for the students that are attending.”
The state will pay for $67 million of the building’s total cost and according to Homan, the rest will be paid for through fundraising, philanthropy and bond issuances.
“We're trying to expand to meet the healthcare needs of the region,” said Homan. “We’re really the healthcare workforce generator for Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth of Virginia… and so it’s exciting for us to be participating in that and we need that new building to meet that growth.”
According to Homan, the building will include three stories dedicated to education, three stories for education administration and a parking deck.
Construction is expected to be finished in May 2020.
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