MUSC Board of Trustees approves Downtown Charleston Campus Master Plan
April 10, 2026
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Board of Trustees today advanced the MUSC Downtown Charleston Campus Master Plan, a long-term framework designed to guide the future evolution of MUSC’s historic campus.
Centered on thoughtful urban design, connectivity and community well-being, the master plan intentionally stitches MUSC’s campus into the surrounding city fabric through inviting public spaces, expanded green infrastructure and improved pedestrian and multimodal mobility. Resilient design, such as integrated stormwater management, landscaped open spaces and adaptive infrastructure, enhance both environmental performance and quality of life. Together, these plans support a vision made possible through ongoing collaboration between MUSC and the city of Charleston.
“This roadmap allows us to think holistically about how we invest where it matters most,” said David Cole, M.D., FACS, president of MUSC. “It prioritizes the delivery of the highest-acuity clinical care while expanding capacity for cutting-edge research and academic excellence.”
The plan includes major initiatives currently underway, such as new buildings for both the College of Health Professions and the College of Medicine, a comprehensive cancer hospital and a medical office building/ambulatory surgery center at 334 Calhoun St.
Through this master plan, MUSC reaffirms its commitment to improving the health of the communities it serves while shaping the future of health care across the region and nation. This helps prioritize thoughtful campus evolution by strengthening education, research and clinical adjacencies.
“As we are increasing our primary care capabilities and access to clinical trials across the state, the plan positions our downtown campus to continue serving South Carolina as a center for complex care, discovery and education while planning responsibly for the future,” said Cole.
Created by leading global interdisciplinary architecture and design firm Perkins & Will, in collaboration with McMillan Pazdan Smith, the plan reflects MUSC’s commitment to strengthening resiliency and sustainability, including green space, storm water mitigation, energy requirements, infrastructure and more.
The master plan is a long-range planning tool, not a construction timeline. Any future projects would be phased and subject to review and approvals. Updates will be shared on an ongoing basis at www.musc.edu/campus-master-plan.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates nearly 3,500 students in six colleges and trains more than 1,060 residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in federal, National Institutes of Health and other research funding. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.
As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2025, for the 11th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.
MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $8.9 billion. The more than 36,200 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research and patient care.
