St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is teeing up a roughly $810 million, 16-story Advanced Research Center II next to its existing research campus near downtown Memphis, a move the Memphis Business Journal reports could bring about 2,000 new jobs to the local economy. The project would create the largest single research building on the St. Jude campus and reshape the Danny Thomas Boulevard skyline in the process.
What the filing says
According to the Memphis Business Journal, the Advanced Research Center II, or ARC II, carries an estimated price tag of about $810 million and is planned to include laboratories, offices and support space for additional researchers and staff. The outlet reports the buildout is expected to support roughly 2,000 positions and will rise to a height comparable to East Memphis’ i-Bank Tower.
Where it would sit
Planning documents filed with county officials place the project at 595 Danny Thomas Place. ALSAC, the fundraising arm for St. Jude, submitted an administrative site plan to clear and replace three existing buildings on a roughly 5.8-acre parcel at A.W. Willis Avenue and Danny Thomas Boulevard. As The Commercial Appeal reported, a letter of intent filed with planners says the expansion is needed to keep St. Jude’s mission moving forward; an ALSAC representative wrote, “This expansion is necessary to allow St. Jude to continue its work to advance care and treatment for catastrophically ill children.”
Design, size, and builders
Local coverage and permit records describe the tower as roughly 865,000 square feet and about 280 feet tall. Elkus Manfredi is listed as the project architect, with Yates Construction among the contractors attached. Foundation and early-site permits are already in the books, signaling that the project has moved into its initial construction stages, according to local reporting.
Part of a bigger strategic push
St. Jude positions ARC II as a key piece of its FY22–27 Strategic Plan, a roughly $12.9 billion multi-year agenda that includes Project 2300, an effort to recruit and onboard about 2,300 new employees for the institution and its campus operations. In the hospital’s own strategic materials, ARC II is framed as part of a broader push to boost recruitment and research capacity in Memphis.
Economic ripple and infrastructure
City and local outlets note that a build of this size will demand upgrades to utilities and public works systems, while generating both construction jobs and long-term scientific and administrative roles. Community notices and local reporting say the project’s footprint is expected to influence nearby neighborhoods and future public-works planning as the campus grows.
Timeline and next steps
Permits for demolition, foundation work, and core systems are already visible in planning records, and the project will move through standard city and county reviews before full vertical construction ramps up. Early site work and separate foundation permits indicate the hospital is sequencing the effort so that core systems and infrastructure come online before the tower itself rises.
For now, city leaders, neighborhood groups, and would-be hires are watching permit filings and public notices for clues on hiring, leasing, and construction schedules. St. Jude and local officials have not yet released a detailed construction timeline beyond what is available in current public records.
