MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The top brass at Regional One Health says plans are going full steam ahead for an all-new hospital at the site of the former home of The Commercial Appeal.
Demolition of the former newspaper building will begin in the spring of 2026.
Dr. Reginald Coopwood, Regional One's CEO, shared a PowerPoint presentation featuring a computer-generated artist's rendering of the planned new hospital during a Memphis Rotary Club meeting Tuesday.
The Shelby County Commission has approved $500 million as part of the foundational phase of the hospital funding plan. Coopwood says he's confident that corporations, foundations and private individuals will donate another $250 million to give Memphis and Shelby County the kind of health care it deserves.
"And what we want people to understand is we need to invest back into this facility so that it'll be here for future generations to be able to take great care into the future beyond what we see today," he said.
Coopwood added that third-party payers would deliver a projected $150 million to the new hospital's funding.
But the PowerPoint noted that Regional One would receive "zero dollars" from the state of Tennessee even after two years of pitching the hospital to the state.
Coopwood says Regional One will approach lawmakers for help funding the new hospital in the new year.
Click here to sign up for our newsletter!