Thrive
All Children’s Hospital to undergo $62 million expansion
Florida’s top-ranked children’s hospital will soon expand its downtown St. Petersburg campus to better accommodate complex surgical procedures and the area’s growth.
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JHACH) will commence construction on the $62 million project in the spring. The new 28,000-square-foot facility will abut the existing emergency center and face the corner of 5th Avenue and 6th Street South.
Justin Olsen, chief operating officer at JHACH, expects construction to conclude in July 2026. The project is the hospital’s first significant expansion since completing its research and education building in 2018.
“Our mission is really to be the number one children’s hospital in the Southeast,” Olsen told the Catalyst. “And we see ourselves doing that through programmatic growth and offering cutting-edge services that aren’t available anywhere else.”
The project will add six flexible emergency center rooms for pediatric patients with unique needs. The building’s second floor will house JHACH’s four largest operating suites.
Olsen said surgeons will use the facility to conduct intricate neurology, orthopedic and airway procedures that require state-of-the-art equipment. The building can also accommodate departments in need of additional space.
The emergency center features two MRI imaging machines. Olsen noted the hospital added a third portable scanner stowed outside in a trailer “because our volume was more than we could handle.”
The machine can only serve ambulatory older children due to its location. Olsen said bringing it into the new facility would allow physicians and staff to perform “any kind of study,” regardless of the patient’s age or condition.
“A lot of the work we do is sedated, which means that machine may not be utilized as often,” he explained. “You can imagine a little kid trying to sit still in a machine – it doesn’t work very well.”
Olsen said JHACH completed a master facility plan about two years ago that compared structures and space with patient volume and forecasted growth. Officials identified a need for additional operating and emergency rooms.
Olsen said it is “obviously exciting” for Tampa Bay to boast U.S. News & World Report’s top-ranked children’s hospital. “And, I think, meaningful that we are able to bring that level of quality and care to downtown St. Pete,” he continued.
“We really pride ourselves on building these complex care programs that require great skill and years to develop.”
The campus features a 750,000-square-foot, 259-beds hospital and a 230,000-square-foot research and teaching facility. Photo: JHACH.
Olsen noted the expansion will free up other space on the campus and enable officials to ensure they are meeting the surrounding community’s needs. The 750,000-square-foot hospital features 259 beds.
The campus also houses several other expansive facilities, like the 230,000-square-foot research and education building. Olsen said teaching and training is “100% part of our mission.”
The project will bolster those efforts. Fellowship and residency program participants and local students – USF St. Petersburg is less than a quarter mile to the east – can soon observe or assist with cutting-edge procedures in the new facility.
“We look at everything we do as a continuation of, first of all, meeting the patient care needs of our community,” Olsen explained. “And second, one of our missions is certainly to train the next generation. So absolutely, this will create more opportunities for education and training students of all varieties.”
Justin Olsen, chief operating officer at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
He said the expansion will not disrupt patient care or other operations. JHACH designed its campus to grow toward 6th Street and 5th Avenue South, and Olsen expects a “seamless build-out.”
Valet services will help mitigate the loss of some surface parking spaces. Olsen said construction should not impede traffic in, out or around the hospital.
JHACH’s leadership is also keeping eyes on the future of area pediatric health care. “We’ll be having this conversation again in the next couple of years about our next project,” Olsen said. “But we’re excited for this one and want to make sure it’s successful.”
He credited the hospital’s “great team” for its nationally recognized care. Olsen called it a privilege to call downtown St. Petersburg home, a draw when recruiting experts in their respective fields.
JHACH is one of the Innovation District’s anchor institutions and often partners with surrounding organizations. Olsen said coordinated collaboration increases stakeholder opportunities and success.
“It’s an amazing place to be,” he added. “And it really aids our ability to do the work – and retain and attract the world’s best talent to do that work.”
