A new medical education building is on the way to UC Merced.
The university announced Wednesday that the Regents of the University of California gave final approval for its construction, approving the final design, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings and full budget and financing.
Driving the news: UC Merced’s new four-story medical education building will be 203,500 square feet and include instructional, academic office, research and community-facing space and common areas.
- The $300 million project – funded by California’s general fund, UC Merced’s budget and donations – was designed by architecture firm ZGF.
- It will be the home to the university’s medical education pathway, which is a partnership with UCSF and UCSF Fresno and brought in its first group of students this fall.
- The building will also house the departments of Psychological Sciences and Public Health, the Health Sciences Research Institute, allied healthcare-related programs, a range of medical education and general assignment learning environments and specialty learning spaces for medical education, classrooms and class laboratories.
- Construction is scheduled to start in spring of next year with a completion date in fall 2026.
- UC Merced expects the facility to serve around 2,220 undergraduates by 2030.
What they’re saying: “We are very pleased by the Regents’ show for medical education at UC Merced,” said UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sanchez Munoz. “The lack of quality healthcare options in the region is well-documented, and this new building will enable UC Merced to train physicians uniquely qualified to address the Valley’s health needs.”
