GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — To design the first children's rehabilitation hospital in Michigan, Mary Free Bed has a picked a firm with experience.
SmithGroupboasts over 400 design awards, according to a spokesperson for Mary Free Bed, and was chosen for the new hospital after a comprehensive, nationwide search.
The design firm is well-versed in the needs of medical industry, having a portfolio that includes projects for the Henry Ford Cancer Institute in Detroit, the Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in California, and the Valley Children's Medical Group Specialty Care Center in Palo Alto, California.
However, while the firm has nationwide reach, it also has Michigan connections, with offices in Ann Arbor and Detroit.
“We’re looking forward to bringing the best of our integrated practice to creating an iconic breakthrough building for Mary Free Bed,” said Ann Kenyon, a vice president and health studio leader at SmithGroup who will be the project’s principal in charge. “The new pediatric rehabilitation hospital will be a welcoming destination and gathering place that promotes healing and well-being for patients, their families and the greater community.”
Built in partnership with Corewell Health, the children's rehabilitation hospital represents a $60M project, and it will be the ninth freestanding hospital of its kind in the nation.
The hospital is a public-private funding partnership, with donations already totally $20M.
“I’m eager to see what the combination of our rehabilitation specialists and the SmithGroup design team will create,” said Kent Riddle, president and CEO of Mary Free Bed. “The children’s rehabilitation hospital will be a revolutionary resource enabling us to serve thousands of additional children each year with leading-edge treatment.”
The new hospital will be built on Wealthy Street, across from Mary Free Bed's main campus with a pedestrian walkway connecting the hospitals.
Construction is expected to start in April 2024 and to wrap up by April 2026.
READ: Mary Free Bed, Corewell Health partner to build state's first children's rehabilitation hospital
