UM System Curators approve Keene Street hospital project, housing and dining rate increase

Editor's note, 2/5: The story has been corrected to reflect how academic calendar changes made by the UM System would affect Reading Day.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri Board of Curators approved an $83 million renovation of the old Women's and Children's Hospital in east Columbia, now known as the Keene Street Medical Center.

The medical center is part of MU Health Care's growth strategy and will make less-severe outpatient procedures more convenient and easier to navigate, according to the meeting agenda. The Keene Street project will allow for more major surgeries and procedures to be done at the main hospital.

$74 million will come from MU Health reserves and $9 million from debt funding, according to meeting documents. A combined consulting fee for the project also foots a $3.25 million bill. MU Health says renovating the building is a faster and lower cost approach than building a new outpatient facility.

Some cosmetic improvements include the building's exterior skin and roofing. Some of the interior work will include repairs to key utility systems, like pumps and water lines.

MU Health said the renovations will assist existing operations, like surgeries or the neurology clinic. MU Health spokesman Eric Maze said MU is looking to also add more services like CAT scans and radiology in the near future.

The renovations are expected to be done in 2029, with the overall improvements being phased-in over the next decade, according to Maze.

Leaders also approved a 5.2% price increase to MU campus housing and dining rates starting July 1, increasing prices from $13,130 to $13,807.

This comes as first-time college applications at MU for Fall 2026 are up 7% compared to last year.

Curators will also be voting on changes to the academic calendar. If the vote is "yes," the change would be a 15-week semester and fall classes starting on the third Monday of August every year.

School spokesman Chris Ave said MU leaders are still discussing the calendar effects on Reading Day, a traditional day off from classes ahead of final exams.

In December, the MU Faculty Council was considering two proposals that would allow for scheduling flexibility, given that Veterans Day is now a paid holiday for UM employees. The proposals would also provide more room between the end of the fall semester and winter holidays.