CMED breaks ground, MacKinnon teases future plans
Central Michigan University leadership, including President Neil MacKinnon, Board of Trustees Chair Denise Williams-Mallett and Dean of the College of Medicine Dr. Joshua Nosanchuck, and several others break ground on the new CMED facility in downtown Saginaw on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. They were joined in the ceremony by Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City), along with the presidents of MyMichigan Health and Covenant Healthcare. (CM Life | Cristin Coppess)
Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Saginaw on Tuesday as Central Michigan University broke ground on a $100 million College of Medicine building along the Saginaw River, marking the next step in a project that has been in development for years.
"We are creating a place where all four years of medical education can come together, where our students can learn alongside our residents and fellows and other physicians and other health care providers who care for those in the community," Joshua Nosanchuk, dean of the College of Medicine, said.
The building is being funded by an $80 million contribution from CMU College of Medicine partners Covenant HealthCare and MyMichigan Health.
In previous reporting by Central Michigan Life, the gifts were announced at a press conference on Nov. 21, 2025. The new facility will be located in Saginaw's MyMichigan Health campus in an area colloquially referred to as the medical diamond.
The groundbreaking featured remarks by faculty at CMU, democratic U.S. Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet, officials from both MyMichigan Health and Covenant HealthCare and a 2019 College of Medicine graduate.
"Expanding and strengthening CMU's footprint and its impact in healthcare has been a goal of the trustees for many years," Denise Mallett, chair of Central Michigan's Board of Trustees, said.
She said when the board was offered an opportunity to be part of the medical diamond, it seemed like a natural fit.
Planning for the facility began in 2022. MacKinnon said the project was the Board's top priority when he became president in 2024.
As part of the preliminary planning process, the university hired an outside fundraising firm to determine budgeting constraints.
CMU initially considered a $200 million project, but ultimately settled on $100 million. MacKinnon said the reduced budget made the project more feasible while still allowing the university to build a facility it considered strong.
"A larger amount than that would be challenging and so really, we all want to make this project happen," he said. "But having said that, for $100 million, this building is fantastic, and so we feel it was a doable budget."
McDonald Rivet said she secured over $30 million in the state budget for the project during her time in the state Senate.
"It's tremendous news, not just for our med students, but also for families and seniors in Saginaw," McDonald Rivet said during the ceremony. "More med students means more doctors and more nurses, meaning faster and better care, which many people in Saginaw really, really need."
Central Michigan does not own this healthcare system, MacKinnon said, which sets CMU apart from other universities with medical schools. He touted the advantages of CMU's 'complete' reliance on the two healthcare systems.
"This strengthens our relationship with these two large health systems," MacKinnon said. "It also allows us over time to increase the size of the class. Right now our class size is 104, this building, the space in it, will allow us to increase that class size up to 130."
He added the partnership also expands students' access to patients and experienced professionals.
There are 208 medical students currently enrolled in the college, according MacKinnon.
Because the new facility will house all four years of medical education, MacKinnon said a group within the Board of Trustees' Advancing Health Together initiative is examining additional aspects associated with the expansion, including student housing.
Within the next five or so years, MacKinnon said CMU hopes to increase the size of each medical class, expand the number of residency programs and fellowship discipline options, and introduce research opportunities.
"We're in the early stages of planning additional, either expanding current healthcare programs in the college, or actually launching additional programs," MacKinnon said. "But for sure, we are excited about the growth opportunities this represents on the Mount Pleasant campus as well."
Back in Mount Pleasant, MacKinnon said university officials are already looking to fill the space left behind on the main campus facilities when the College of Medicine is officially moved with additions and expansions of other healthcare related courses of study.
"Last fall we created a BSN (Bachelor of Science) nursing program," he said. "That program's already surpassed our enrollment projections. And so, we'll be applying to their national accreditation body to formally increase the class size."
Construction is expected to be completed in 2028, and the new facility will welcome its first students in the fall of the 2028-29 academic year.
