JLL is set to take the wheel on Brown University Health’s sprawling real estate portfolio, roughly 4.5 million square feet of space that includes hospitals, outpatient clinics, and administrative offices across the region. The new systemwide engagement covers hospital buildings on campus and dozens of off-campus sites that handle outpatient and support services in Rhode Island and nearby parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Health system leaders say the partnership is meant to better align bricks and mortar with patient access, staffing needs, and long-term strategy.
According to JLL, the firm will deliver strategic portfolio development, data analytics, brokerage, and transaction management across about 150 properties. That footprint breaks down to roughly 2.3 million square feet of off-campus space and about 2.2 million square feet across six hospital campuses. JLL says it will knit those assets together across clinical, administrative, and academic uses to support patient access, staff experience, and operational efficiency.
As reported by Connect CRE, the JLL team leading the engagement features U.S. healthcare leasing advisory lead Matt Coursen, managing director Bob Coughlin, and senior vice presidents Chris McCauley and Anna Lee Ware. The account brings property oversight for six hospital campuses and scores of outpatient offices under a single umbrella.
Why The Timing Matters
The deal lands shortly after Lifespan formally rebranded as Brown University Health, following an expanded affiliation with Brown University last year that is part of a multi-year effort to stabilize finances and modernize facilities. In June 2024, Brown detailed a package of investments and governance changes, including a $150 million commitment over seven years to strengthen the health system’s academic and clinical mission, according to Brown University.
“As healthcare systems evolve, real estate becomes more than an operational function,” Matt Coursen said in JLL's announcement, arguing that strategic space planning can improve access to care and support workforce needs. JLL cast the assignment as a chance to bring clarity, alignment and a long term game plan to Brown University Health’s newly combined portfolio.
JLL Team And Services
The engagement tasks the JLL crew with combing through leases, flagging underused space and supporting transactions that may range from renewals to relocations or dispositions, services outlined by Connect CRE. That mix of data analytics and brokerage work is the same toolkit large health systems have leaned on to control operating costs while trying to keep care close to home.
What This Means For Rhode Island Patients And Real Estate
Brown University Health is a major local employer and, according to the system’s website, operates hundreds of clinics and more than 1,600 patient care locations across the region. Brown University Health and local reporting note that the system recently consolidated administrative functions into the former Hasbro office at 15 LaSalle Square in Providence, a move that CoStar reported preserved roughly 600 jobs and highlighted the push to centralize operations.
For neighborhood leaders, landlords and patients, the real impact will show up as JLL’s review sorts out which clinics and offices best support access to care and which leases might be renegotiated or reworked. Brown University Health and JLL have not offered a detailed public timeline beyond the initial announcement, and the portfolio overhaul is expected to unfold over months while municipal officials and property owners watch closely.
