WASHINGTON — Children’s National Health System held a ceremonial groundbreaking this week to mark the start of construction on its new Research and Innovation campus on 12.8 acres at the former Walter Reed Medical Center campus in Northwest D.C.
It will be the first pediatric outpatient center in Ward 4, on Georgia Avenue, and will be home to Children National’s genomic and precision medicine research. It will also provide primary pediatric health care.
The research and innovation campus is expected to open in 2020.
Children’s National said the project will create 350 temporary jobs and 110 permanent jobs, an economic impact to reach $150 million by the time it opens.
By 2030, an independent economic analysis by McKinsey & Company estimates, the economic impact by 2030 could be up to a cumulative $6.2 billion, with up to 2,100 jobs and $290 million in cumulative tax revenue for the District.
The historic Walter Reed Army Medical Center was closed as part of Base Realignment and Closure, and its operations were moved to a new campus at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, where it now operates as the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The Children’s National research campus will serve as a co-location facility and incubator for research partners focused on pediatric medicine.
It will also include an outpatient care center with primary care services and clinical services of its Rare Disease Institute, which treats children with genetic and metabolic diseases.
The 2020 opening will coincide with the 150th anniversary of Children’s National Medical Center at 111 Michigan Ave. Northwest.
