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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 Fitzsimons Army 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 Health Sciences Center
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 Fitzsimons site 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
Fitzsimons – a distance of six miles. A frequent shuttle service runs
between the campuses and takes about 12 – 15 minutes. |
