Wayne State University is about to start work on a new $200 million Health Sciences Research Building in Midtown Detroit that it hopes to finish by early 2028.

The five-story, 160,000-square-foot building will go up on the what is now a parking lot at 545 E. Canfield Street. The building is to serve as a biomedical research hub for Wayne State scientists in the areas of oncology, neurosciences, systems biology and immunology, metabolism and infectious diseases, according to a news release.

The research will also build upon the university’s clinic partnerships with the nearby Karmanos Cancer Institute and the Detroit Medical Center.

The university held a ceremonial groundbreaking event for the building on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The project is financially supported by a $100 million commitment from the state of Michigan, plus philanthropy and university resources, the news release said.

“This new building represents Wayne State’s deep and enduring commitment to improving the health and economic strength of Detroit, our region and the state of Michigan,” Wayne State President Kimberly Andrews Espy said in the release. “Here, our world-class biomedical researchers, clinicians, students and community partners will come together to solve some of the most pressing health challenges of our time, and to ensure discoveries more quickly reach the people who need them most.”

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Contact JC Reindl: 313-378-5460 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @jcreindl

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Wayne State breaks ground for new $200M health research building