Design efforts have centered on creating a therapeutic healing environment that integrates advanced medical technology and research with patient- and family-centered planning strategies. | Photo Credit: HKS/The Lawrence Group
What You Need to Know
- SSM Health will host a topping-out celebration for its new 14-story Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis on April 6
- The 500,000-square-foot facility will feature approximately 200 inpatient beds and expanded pediatric services.
- The project emphasizes patient- and family-centered design, advanced clinical environments and integrated technology.
- Completion is scheduled for 2027 at the Midtown campus on Chouteau Avenue and Grand Boulevard.
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St. LOUIS — SSM Health will celebrate a major construction milestone on its new Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital: the topping out of the 14-story pediatric facility rising in the St. Louis’ Midtown district.
The April 6 ceremony will mark placement of the final structural elements and underscores SSM Health’s ongoing investment in expanding access to advanced pediatric care across the region. The project reflects the organization’s broader mission to deliver value-based, family-centered healthcare in a state-of-the-art environment.
Located at the intersection of Chouteau Avenue and Grand Boulevard, the new hospital will span approximately 500,000 square feet. The replacement facility is designed to accommodate about 200 inpatient beds and will significantly expand clinical capacity, including an enlarged pediatric intensive care unit, a dedicated bone marrow transplant unit and a dialysis unit tailored to younger patients.
Additional program elements include private, windowed neonatal intensive care unit rooms, advanced pediatric and cardiovascular intensive care units, larger operating rooms and expanded recovery areas. Project leaders note that these features are intended to improve clinical outcomes while enhancing the overall patient and family experience.
The hospital is being designed by a team led by HKS in partnership with The Lawrence Group, with Henderson Engineers providing mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services. McCarthy Building Companies is serving as the construction lead. The scale and complexity of the project are reflected in its structural footprint, which includes more than 30,000 cubic yards of concrete and over 1,000 concrete columns.
Design efforts have centered on creating a therapeutic healing environment that integrates advanced medical technology and research with patient- and family-centered planning strategies. The facility will include expanded spaces to accommodate families, recognizing the role of parents, siblings and extended support networks in pediatric care delivery.
The new hospital will replace the existing 195-bed Cardinal Glennon facility, which opened in 1956 as the nation’s first freestanding, not-for-profit Catholic children’s hospital. The replacement project is intended to support the next generation of pediatric healthcare while reinforcing SSM Health’s academic medical campus in St. Louis.
SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital has been consistently recognized for clinical excellence, earning a place among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals for 12 consecutive years. In the 2025-2026 rankings, the hospital is listed among the top 50 nationally in multiple specialties, including cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology and pulmonology.
Construction is scheduled for completion in 2027. Upon opening, the new facility is expected to serve as a regional hub for specialized pediatric care, supporting advanced treatment, research and education while addressing growing demand for neonatal and pediatric services.