GREELEY, Colo. — The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) marked a major milestone in its historic medical education project this week, raising the final beam on its new College of Osteopathic Medicine building at the corner of 11th Avenue and 20th Street.
The three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility now stands where Bishop-Lehr Hall once anchored the campus. On Thursday, Aug. 28, UNC leaders, alumni, faculty, staff, and local and state officials gathered for a beam-topping ceremony, a traditional moment in large-scale construction projects symbolizing structural completion.
“This is very gratifying,” UNC President Andy Feinstein told the crowd. “It’s a way of celebrating all of the hard work of the people in our community. It’s a UNC effort, the city, the county and the state.”
Feinstein emphasized that the university remains on track to admit its first class of medical students in fall 2026, pending final accreditation steps.
While construction progresses visibly in Greeley, UNC is also working behind the scenes with the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), the national body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
UNC is currently in candidate status, meaning it has demonstrated adequate planning and resources but cannot yet recruit or admit students. Earlier this year, COCA did not approve UNC’s initial application for a pre-accreditation site visit. The university resubmitted its application, which was reviewed at the commission’s August meeting in Chicago.
According to Daniel Mendelson, COCA’s secretary and vice president of accreditation standards, results will be available within 30 days. If approved, UNC could host a site visit as early as October — a critical step toward pre-accreditation, which would allow the school to begin recruiting students.
The UNC medical college project is part of a broader effort to address Colorado’s looming physician shortage. Data cited by UNC and state lawmakers during early planning showed significant gaps in the number of doctors projected to serve the state’s growing population in the coming decades.
Recognizing that urgency, state leaders approved a $247 million funding package in April 2024 for four health-care-related higher education projects. UNC received the largest share: $127.5 million for its College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Former state Rep. Mary Young of Greeley, who co-sponsored the legislation alongside Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, attended Thursday’s ceremony and added her signature to the beam before it was raised.
“I’m so thrilled and so excited to see the quick construction,” Young said. “It’s wonderful to see how the community understands how critical a piece of health care we have in our community.”
The ceremony also served as a reunion of sorts, with UNC alumni and local supporters celebrating the project’s progress. Attendees lined up to sign the bright yellow beam with markers before it was lifted skyward.
Among them was Kathleen Sears, a 1976 UNC graduate and secretary of the UNC Foundation Board of Directors, who recalled her days as a student teacher in the now-demolished Bishop-Lehr Hall.
“I can’t believe how fast all of this came together,” Sears said. “It’s such a wonderful thing for the state of Colorado, the university and the city of Greeley.”
Another signer, Jim Helgoth of Boulder, stood alongside Sears as cranes hoisted the beam into place, marking the official topping-off moment.
The new College of Osteopathic Medicine is slated to open in fall 2026, provided UNC clears its final accreditation hurdles. Once operational, it will be the first medical school of its kind in northern Colorado — a region long underserved in physician training opportunities.
For Feinstein and other campus leaders, the progress represents more than just construction. It’s a collaborative achievement rooted in community support and statewide commitment.
“This building isn’t just for UNC,” Feinstein said. “It’s for Colorado. It’s for future doctors. And it’s for the patients who need them.”
Originally reported by Anne Delaney in Greeley Tribune.
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