Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the FAQ page for USC’s new School of Medicine Columbia, where you can find answers to common questions about this
exciting project.

General Project Information

When will the project break ground and when will it be completed?

The project is scheduled to begin construction in Q1 2025 and be open for the start of the 2027-28 academic year.

How are Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) being engaged?

USC and Gilbane are committed to including minority and women-owned businesses on the project, with a goal of 30% participation for design and construction entities. Key partners include Brownstone Construction Group, Restoration 52, and Stewart.

Community & Infrastructure

How will parking be handled?

The parking to support the students, faculty, staff, and visitors who use the building will be accommodated in two landscaped surface parking lots to the north and south of the building. Public parking will also be created on new streets that are being constructed adjacent to the building as part of the project. In total, more than 700 parking spaces are being provided. In the long term as the Health Sciences Campus is built out in future phases, it is the vision of both the University and the BullStreet District that the surface lots are replaced by buildings, additional outdoor spaces, and structured parking. Additionally, a shuttle system will connect the Health Sciences Campus to the main campus, ensuring convenient and efficient transportation for students, faculty, and staff.

How will pedestrian safety be handled?

Pedestrian safety and connectivity is paramount to the Health Sciences Campus. A new road is being constructed to the west of the development alongside Page Ellington Park. Crosswalks will be added to support pedestrian crossing on this road, to connecting to the park and the rest of the District. On the east side of the development, a new sidewalk is being added along Harden Street which will be protected from the street by a landscape buffer. The campus itself features a pedestrian oriented network of landscaped sidewalks, outdoor gathering spaces, and parking lot walkways all of which will include nighttime lighting and emergency call boxes.

How does the Health Sciences Campus fit in with the broader BullStreet District area?

The Health Sciences Campus is a key component of the BullStreet District's development, integrating seamlessly with the area's vision for a vibrant, mixed-use community that supports education, research, and healthcare.

Operations & Impact

Will the campus be open 24/7? Will the campus be open on weekends? Will the café be open on weekends?

The exact hours of the building and policies guiding its operations will be determined closer to the opening date. It is has been discussed that students, faculty and researcher teams  will have 24 hour access to the facility through secure access control systems. The cafe hours are also still under determination but will likely focus on breakfast and lunch with grab and go options for students, faculty, and staff that are in the building during evening hours.  

What’s the traffic impact to the area?

A traffic impact analysis that considered the full long-term build out for the BullStreet District was completed in 2016. The analysis developed a series of recommendations for improvements to intersection lane geometry and operations for intersections and roadways surrounding the area to be implemented over time as the District is developed. Many of these improvements, particularly on Bull Street, have already been implemented.  

For its part, the Health Sciences Campus was required by the South Carolina Department of Transportation to complete a technical memorandum to compare the current master plan for the Health Sciences Campus to what was anticipated in the 2016 study. This update, completed in April of 2024, verified that the expected traffic impact of the proposed campus is less than the 2016 estimates and the traffic on the roadways in the vicinity of the campus have shown overall decreases in traffic since the previous study. The recommended improvements that will be completed as part of the first phase of development of the Health Sciences Campus include:     

  • A median opening at the main access from Colonial Drive with a 150-foot storage westbound left-turn lane and two-lane egress from the new access road along the park (Cooper Drive).

  • A right-in/right-out service and secondary access drive connecting to Harden Street that includes a raised concrete Harden Street median to prohibit exiting left turns from the site and a 100 foot south bound right-turn lane into the site with a 150-foot taper.  

If you have more questions or need further information, please contact us.