Children's Healthcare To Open Massive I-85 Campus

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta has announced plans for a massive new campus off of Interstate 85 that will replace its current home near Emory University.

The new North Druid Hills Campus will be a $1 billion project that will include a 446-bed hospital, an advanced pediatrics center and other support buildings, along with more than 20 acres of greenspace that will include miles of walking trails and paths.

The campus will be at the intersection of I-85 and North Druid Hills Road and replace a bunch of 50-year-old, one-story buildings, the hospital says.

The project is slated to be complete by 2026.

"Our goal is simple — to help more children get better faster," said Donna Hyland, CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. "Georgia’s pediatric population is growing and our new campus will allow us to meet our state’s need while improving health outcomes for our patients in a transformative environment for our patient families, physicians, staff and our neighbors."

The patient beds will be in two towers, with an attached medical office building and a consolidated cancer and blood disorders center. Additional structures planned include a central energy plant that will allow for efficient and sustainable energy on site and parking decks.

There will also be millions of dollars of roadwork done on and along Interstate 85 to help make way for the campus. The hospital has committed $40 million to road improvements that will include a road tunneled under I-85.

"We intend to be a catalyst for long-awaited transportation and infrastructure improvements along this corridor," said Hyland. "Our investments will make it easier for our patient families to reach us and improve some existing traffic and pedestrian challenges for our neighbors."

The Brookhaven Planning Commission has requested that Children’s provide more details on its master plan prior to considering the annexation and rezoning of adjacent land for a proposed support building. Children’s plans to present an updated master plan at the planning commission’s Dec. 6 meeting.

Children’s will follow a zoning process chosen by Brookhaven for its new campus, which will involve adjustments to the language of the city’s industrial zoning district to accommodate the new campus. Public hearings on the proposed zoning amendments will be held at the Brookhaven Planning Commission meeting on Dec. 6 and at the Brookhaven City Council meeting on Dec. 12.

"Children’s North Druid Hills Campus is going to create a new front door for Brookhaven while providing a healing natural environment for children from Brookhaven and across the state," said Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst. "We look forward to learning more about their plans in the next few months."
Once finalized, campus plans will be submitted to the Atlanta Regional Commission. Children’s expects that process to take four to six months. Construction on the campus will likely begin in 2020.

Additional information, site plans and renderings can be found at a website devoted to the project.

Photo courtesy Children's Healthcare of Atlanta