Plans for new UNC College of Osteopathic Medicine taking shape

GREELEY — Plans for the University of Northern Colorado’s new College of Osteopathic Medicine are now in black and white and in front of staff at the city of Greeley’s planning department.

According to planning documents filed by the college, the building will be on a 10.6-acre corner of 11^th Avenue and 20^th Street. UNC is expected to enroll 150 medical students annually, with an inaugural class anticipated to start in fall 2026.

“The new COM establishes an iconic gateway image for the UNC campus overall, extends UNC’s west campus fabric out to 20th street and stands as a bridge between UNC’s Central Campus and West Campus on 10.6 acres,” according to a narrative filed by The SmithGroup, the architect for the project. “The building consists of 110,000 gross square feet across a three-story bar to the north with a partial lower level that houses building systems and a receiving area, a high-ceilinged one-story classroom space to the south, and a two story ‘connector’ between the two with student gathering space. A sunken service yard is screened from adjacent views by site walls and topography.”

The narrative also notes that the building will be buffered from the neighborhood to the north by plenty of landscaping, or a “park-like buffer.”

The site “is further enhanced with pedestrian paths and a planted water detention area. Art and a naturalized landscape of native Northeastern Colorado plantings integrate the building with the site embracing local climate and culture. The design of the building has been tailored to meet the intent of UNC’s recently completed Campus Vision Plan,” the narrative said.

At present the city has not issued a building permit for the project, which is still going through city review. The project will not have to go through approval of the planning commission or the city council.

Beth Longenecker, founding dean of the COM, said the new school has attained the second phase of accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. The college also has recently hired an associate dean of preclinical education, Sanjeev Choudhary, Ph.D, and an associate dean of clinical education and GME, David Ross, DO, both of whom began with the COM this summer.  

“We will be launching a national search for an associate dean of admissions and student affairs next week, as well as begin the search process for three chairs, an assistant dean of assessment and six full-time faculty this fall,” she said.

The UNC Board of Trustees in early August approved the certificates of participation to be issued by the state to fund $127.5 million of the $200 million project, where Bishop-Lehr Hall stands at present. The current building is set to be demolished. A ground-breaking ceremony is set for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 28.

The project was made possible by House Bill 24-1231, which created $247 million for four college projects across the state. The bill allocates $127.5 million toward construction, startup and accreditation expenses of UNC’s new college building, and the rest toward Colorado State University’s new veterinary school, and to fund construction of a Health Institute Tower at Metropolitan State University in Denver and renovation of the Valley Campus main building at Trinidad State College.

UNC has received $31 million from donors, including $25 million from The Weld Trust to support the project.

The general contractor for the project is Adolfson & Peterson Construction.