By HFT Staff

Houston Methodist has begun site preparation for a 26-story hospital tower in the Texas Medical Center. The new tower will house a new and larger emergency department, enhanced imaging services and hundreds of additional hospital beds. 

The $1.4 billion Centennial Tower project will connect to the Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Tower, which opened in 2018 and houses the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute.  

When completed, Centennial Tower will: 

• house nearly 400 patient beds, including 175 new beds and 207 beds to replace those in Houston Methodist’s main building, which will be demolished along with West Pavilion  
• replace existing space for transplant medicine, intermediate care and surgical intensive care 
• replace seven operating rooms with the latest technology and add two additional operating room suites and enhanced radiology services. 

With 54 beds and additional suites, the new emergency department will be nearly double in size. In addition, the larger, more convenient emergency entrance at John Freeman Boulevard and Bertner Avenue will include pedestrian and ambulance drop-off sites, ambulance bays and easy in-and-out access. 

Centennial Tower’s 14th floor will feature an outdoor rooftop garden complete with trees and landscaping to provide patients, visitors and staff with an outdoor respite in the heart of the Texas Medical Center.