Regional One Health is shifting gears on its long-term expansion plans, opting for a faster approach to bring a brand-new hospital to the former Commercial Appeal site.
Initially, the health system planned a decade-long redevelopment of its current Medical District campus. However, with the Shelby County Commission’s recent approval of a $24 million land purchase at 495 Union Ave., Regional One is now set to construct a state-of-the-art facility just blocks from Downtown Memphis. The project, estimated to cost between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion, will significantly enhance healthcare access in the region.
Why the New Site?
Regional One’s President and CEO, Dr. Reginald Coopwood, emphasized two key reasons for selecting the new location.
First, building off-site allows the existing hospital to continue operating without the disruptions of prolonged construction. “This lets us take the noise off campus and continue delivering excellent care while the new hospital is built less than a mile away,” Coopwood explained.
Second, the new site accelerates the construction timeline. Instead of the original eight- to ten-year plan, the new facility could be completed in just five to seven years. It also enables a more strategic construction approach, prioritizing critical services such as the trauma center, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and women’s health services.
A Transformational Project for Memphis
The new hospital will bring Memphis’ only Level I trauma center into a modern space, better equipped to handle growing patient volumes. “Our current trauma center was built in the 1980s for a much lower volume than we see today,” Coopwood noted. “We’re still delivering great care, but this new facility will be a game-changer for our community.”
The project will also serve as an economic anchor near Downtown, maintaining Regional One’s significant employment footprint of over 3,000 local jobs and 322 staffed beds.
Next Steps and Real Estate Impact
Regional One has enlisted Allworld Project Management and Dallas-based Covalus to oversee development. Over the next six to eight months, the team will assemble architects and engineers while conducting an environmental assessment to confirm the site’s viability.
The 495 Union property, formerly home to The Commercial Appeal from 1933 to 2019, was divided into two parcels in 2023. The County acquired:
- A 4.1-acre parcel with a 151,000-square-foot warehouse for $16.9 million. The site was undergoing an $8.9 million conversion into self-storage, set for completion by March before Regional One’s acquisition.
- A 2.95-acre parcel with a 129,000-square-foot Class A office building for $7.15 million.
Darrell Cobbins of Universal Commercial, who represented Shelby County in the deal, sees the project as a catalyst for area development. “This will have a historic ripple effect throughout the Medical District, the Edge District, and Downtown Memphis,” he said.
The Future of Regional One’s Current Campus
Once the new hospital is completed, the fate of Regional One’s existing Medical District campus remains undecided. The aging buildings—owned by Shelby County—are likely to be demolished. “These buildings just need to be torn down so they won’t sit empty,” Coopwood stated.
With construction plans now moving forward, the next steps will focus on finalizing design details and securing approvals. The new Regional One Health hospital promises to modernize healthcare delivery while reshaping the landscape of Memphis’ Medical District.