The skyline of Magnolia Avenue will look different based on which design Tarrant County commissioners choose for a new JPS Health Network medical office building.
County commissioners heard presentations during an Oct. 12 special meeting from two bidding design firms, Hoefer Welker and Perkins & Will.
JPS chose the firms following a selection process.
The JPS Medical Office Building is part of the hospital district’s $800 million bond program approved by voters in 2018. The program details a new psychiatric emergency center, central energy plant and new primary care clinics that would cost $1.2 billion.
Hospital leaders now estimate that the bond projects will total over $1.5 billion because of cost increases, inflation and construction delays.
The office building is estimated to cost $112 million. Its corresponding parking garage on Magnolia Avenue is estimated to cost $63 million. The projects are slated for completion between 2025 and 2027.
Commissioners will further discuss the designs at their Oct. 17 meeting.
Proposed designs
Hoefer Welker worked on the design of the TCU Burnett School of Medicine in Fort Worth and the Methodist Health facility in Grand Prairie. Over the past five years, the firm has designed 29 clinics.
With the medical office building, Hoefer Welker wants to focus on personalized care maintenance, proactively and reducing health disparity. The goal is to create a health care ecosystem that excels at the biomedical framework, said John Castorina, partner with Hoefer Welker.
The building would feature clinic pods, house ambulatory and administrative services, retail space and a community rooftop.
The proposed design would also feature an open yard between the building and parking garage to encourage residents to use it for workouts, classes and community gatherings.
“It’s not only about the health of the people who are coming here, but it’s also about the people who get a glimpse of how the building goes together,” he said.
A look at Hoefer Welker’s proposed renderings of the JPS Medical Office Building. The image shows the west exterior of the facility. (Courtesy | Hoefer Welker) 
The east exterior of the medical office building would feature more glass. (Courtesy | Hoefer Welker) 
To create more community involvement, Hoefer Welker is proposing an open yard and community plaza between the medical office building and the parking garage. (Courtesy | Hoefer Welker) 
The first floor of the JPS building would be centered around the community, including a kitchen and dining space. (Courtesy | Hoefer Welker)
Perkins & Will previously designed the Baylor Scott & White Health Administrative Center in Dallas and the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Houston. The firm has designed 53 medical office buildings and 34 ambulatory surgical centers.
Perkins & Will’s building focuses on four concepts:
- Food is medicine.
- Movement is medicine.
- Community is medicine.
- Nature is medicine.
The concepts move residents toward preventive health care and community wellness, said Danika Franks, clinical and medical education advisor at the firm.
The firm’s proposed building would feature a teaching kitchen, clinical modules, therapy spaces, community spaces and courtyards.
The building would also create convenient access for patients and include larger operating rooms between 650 and 800 square feet to accommodate imaging, robotics and technology, according to Perkins & Will’s presentation.
A look at Perkins & Will’s proposed renderings of the JPS Medical Office Building. The image shows the view from Main Street toward Magnolia Avenue. (Courtesy | Perkins & Will) 
A view of the medical office building from Magnolia Avenue toward Main Street. (Courtesy | Perkins & Will) 
Perkins & Will provided an aerial view over Main Street toward the JPS campus. (Courtesy | Perkins & Will) 
Another aerial view of the JPS campus, this time toward Downtown Fort Worth. (Courtesy | Perkins & Will)
“It’s not about sick care. It’s about preventative care in Tarrant County and so we want to dream with you,” Dan Thomas, senior planner with Perkins & Will, said. “We want to design something that creates a space that people can come, interact and get well.”
David Moreno is the health reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter.
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