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History of the Department of Pathology, UCD

 

As a result of the success in expanding clinical, research, and educational activities, the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) and many of its affiliations and programs have simply outgrown the 42-acre campus in Denver. Several years ago the U.S. Army decommissioned the Anschutz CampusArmy Medical Center in Aurora – which borders Denver on the East.  More than 400 acres were relinquished, of which 217 acres were acquired by the University and the rest designated mainly for other biomedical purposes.

     An extensive planning process was undertaken to move the present campus to the new The Anschutz Medical Campus.  By the Summer of 2002, major construction projects had been completed, and others were underway or in the planning stages.  This project will result in one of the few Health Sciences Centers in the country which has been planned and constructed “from scratch” in recent decades.

     A number of facilities are already constructed or under construction, including: a major outpatient facility, a clinical cancer center, the first stage of the research facility (600,000 square feet), an eye institute, the first stage of the new University of Colorado Hospital, and a Native American Health Center.  Additional planning exists for the completion of the University of Colorado Hospital; an office building; a library; an education building; additional research structures; and other facilities for clinical, research, and educational programs and activities.  Denver’s outstanding Children’s Hospital will also move to the campus by 2007.

     The campus will have abundant green space, walkways and trails, planned roadways and parking. The adjacent areas will include recreational and conference facilities, a town center, hotel, a biomedical “industrial” park, and so on. The city of Aurora is planning on new residential and commercial areas near the property.

     It is anticipated that much of the University of Colorado Denver and affiliated hospital projects will be completed by as early as 2006 and that the entire project will be completed by 2010. At that time, it is anticipated the Anschutz Campussite will have a population of 10,000  to 15,000 students, faculty, and staff.  In the meantime the campus will be split between the present site and Anschutz Campus– a distance of six miles. A frequent shuttle service runs between the campuses and takes about 12 – 15 minutes.