The University of Cincinnati is officially shopping for a builder to pull off a $105 million makeover of Holmes Hospital, a project that would turn the longtime medical facility into a new home for UC’s College of Nursing. Firms have until this afternoon to get their paperwork in, with responses to the state’s solicitation due today.
The plan would gut and refit the 185,000-square-foot building on UC’s medical campus into expanded classrooms, simulation labs and student spaces. University leaders say the move is a direct response to overcrowding at Procter Hall and is essential to keeping the college’s accreditation intact as enrollment continues to climb.
According to the state’s Ohio Facilities Construction Commission listing, posted March 20, the Holmes Hospital Renovation (project UCN‑25181B) is set up as a design-build job with an $80 million construction estimate inside a $105 million total project budget. The RFQ pegs 200 Albert Sabin Way as the site, calls for professional services to start in May, and requires statements of qualifications to be submitted by April 21 at 2 p.m. local time. The document lays out submittal instructions and notes that shortlisted teams will receive the detailed project program.
UC Nursing Dean Alicia Ribar has cast the Holmes Hospital overhaul as more than a cosmetic upgrade, calling it “a bold statement about the future of this college” and saying the relocation will allow the college “to expand our programs, grow our simulation capabilities.” In a statement to University of Cincinnati News, Ribar said the renovation is a chance to build learning spaces “worthy of the education we deliver.”
University officials have said Procter Hall has long since blown past its capacity and that a larger, more modern facility is now a must to keep up with demand. For fall 2025, the College of Nursing reported about 1,194 undergraduates and 1,373 graduate students, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier.
Scope and program
The RFQ outlines a top-to-bottom renovation of all six floors. That includes interior reconfiguration for classrooms, simulation areas and shared teaching space, exterior site work to improve arrival experience and accessibility, upgrades to the building envelope, complete replacement of building systems, and targeted fit-outs for specialized clinical and research functions. A dining facility to serve students and faculty is also anticipated. The project requires pre-design work to confirm the program, schedule and costs, details that are laid out in the state’s Ohio Facilities Construction Commission posting.
Timeline and next steps
At its Feb. 24 meeting, the UC Board of Trustees signed off on $8 million to cover design and preconstruction for the Holmes Hospital project, according to board documents. That initial chunk of funding is meant to let planners advance designs and cost estimates, then return to the board with a resolution for the rest of the work, as described in the trustees’ summary.
Why it matters
If Holmes Hospital is successfully transformed into a simulation-heavy academic hub, UC would significantly boost its clinical training capacity at a time when nursing programs everywhere are racing to expand. Industry coverage of nursing program expansions in 2026 points to a broader push among health systems and colleges to scale training and simulation resources, a trend that could feed the regional nursing workforce while also opening doors for local contractors and design firms.
With qualifications due today, UC will sort through the responses and is expected to move into program validation and schematic design later this year. Local builders and design teams with higher education or healthcare renovation experience will be watching closely for the shortlist and for the university’s next round of funding decisions.
