Construction milestone and topping out ceremony

In construction, a topping out marks the placement of a building’s final structural steel beam. The accompanying ceremony is a time-honored milestone recognizing the project’s momentum and honoring the dedication and craftsmanship of the construction and design teams. USC students, staff, and project team members signed two beams, which will be permanently installed and displayed in the building as a lasting tribute to everyone who helped bring the project to this milestone.

A public-private partnership advancing medical education

Set to open in August 2027, the $300 million, 330,000-square-foot project represents a public-private partnership between USC and Gilbane. Gilbane is leading the planning, design, development, and construction of the facility.

State-of-the-art spaces for education, research, and collaboration

On completion, the new facility will blur the boundaries between interdisciplinary research and medical education, offering state-of-the-art classrooms, research labs, medical simulation spaces, a health-sciences library, and collaborative indoor and outdoor learning and event spaces.

Project leadership perspectives

“Gilbane is known as a leader in constructing cutting-edge science and research facilities, and this new School of Medicine building showcases that expertise,” said Brian Steed, Vice President and South Carolina Business Leader, Gilbane Building. “We’re proud to support USC’s mission and the future of healthcare education in South Carolina. Thank you to our project and trade partners for their collaboration and to the skilled craft for their work in realizing this exciting milestone.”

“We are proud to partner with the University of South Carolina in delivering their new School of Medicine, a significant investment by USC in innovative research and medical education, and the first building on its new Health Sciences Campus,” said John Keegan, senior vice president at Gilbane Development. “Through public-private partnerships such as this, Gilbane is helping to transform university campuses across the country, developing and building everything from academic and research spaces to student housing to auxiliary facilities.”

“For inspiration, the USC School of Medicine Building at the Health Sciences Campus looks back to the legacy of thoughtfully conceived architecture and outdoor spaces on the main campus while simultaneously looking forward to establishing an ecosystem for sustaining state-of-the-art health sciences education and research,” said University Architect Derek Gruner. “Education and interdisciplinary research will be combined under one roof so that each will engage with and contribute to the other through extraordinary classrooms, well-equipped simulation spaces, wet and dry labs, numerous study environments, and dramatic public spaces.”

Part of USC Next and the BullStreet District vision

The realization of the Health Sciences Campus is one of the key goals of USC Next, a 10-year master plan of improvements and capital projects designed to meet the needs of USC Columbia students, faculty, and staff through 2034. The campus will integrate with the broader BullStreet District, contributing to a vibrant, mixed-use community.

Other key project team members include BOUDREAUX as lead architect in collaboration with design architect SLAM Collaborative; construction manager partners Cumming and Brownstone Construction Group; and development consultant Restoration 52. Construction began in February 2025.

About Gilbane

Gilbane is one of the oldest and largest family-owned construction, investment, and real estate development firms in the world. Gilbane Development is the project development, financing, and ownership arm of Gilbane, and Gilbane Building provides preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, and design-build services on complex projects. Gilbane’s Public-Private Partnership Group has delivered or has underway more than $4.4 billion in P3 projects for healthcare, higher education, K-12, and public-sector clients. To learn more, visit gilbaneco.com.

Source: Gilbane Building Company