Bates Technical College Selects Design-Build Team for Health Science Center

By Aziza Jackson

TACOMA, Wash. — Bates Technical College and the state Department of Enterprise Services have tapped the Walsh Group and Schreiber Starling Whitehead Architects as the design-build team for their $43.7 million Medical Mile Health Science Center (MMHSC) in downtown Tacoma.

MMHSC will serve as an Allied Health + STEM facility for the college’s allied health, medical arts and STEM programs. The college is currently in the design phase for the center, which will be located on their downtown campus, with an estimated opening in 2023.

“We are excited to build a new facility that will replace an antiquated structure at our downtown campus and help fuel our booming regional health care industry with a qualified workforce,” said Bates Technical College President Lin Zhou, Ph. D. “The facility will increase student capacity in healthcare-related programs and, with several hospitals and medical centers within walking distance of campus, is in a prime location. New construction will modernize approximately 70,000 GSF of new space specially designed with state-of-the-art medical arts learning areas. The building will create a cohesive health care, science and technology facility with improved energy performance and sustainability features, similar to the award-winning Advanced Technology Building at the college’s Central/Mohler Campus.”

MMHSC will house classroom and lab spaces to replace the existing West Annex Building on the Bates Technical College campus.

The MMHSC building will feature a state-of-the-art Sim Lab, Skills Lab, and other STEM facilities. The building will advance the use of simulation technology to enhance learning, provide a safe and effective way to train students and develop a more qualified workforce in a number of fields.

It is anticipated that the Allied Health training programs housed in the new building will include the following:

  • Practical Nursing
  • Nursing Assistant Certified
  • Occupational Therapy Assistant
  • Hearing Instruments Technology
  • Dental Laboratory Technician
  • Denturist
  • Dental Assisting
  • Biomedical Engineering Tech
  • Bio Tech Lab Tech