ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is entering a pivotal stage in its $62 million expansion project, with construction actively underway on a new facility aimed at enhancing its capacity to treat the region’s most complex pediatric cases.
The 28,000-square-foot expansion — part of a multiyear master facility plan — broke ground earlier this year and is expected to be completed by July 2026. The project will add state-of-the-art surgical operating rooms, expand emergency care, and replace aging infrastructure critical to the hospital’s day-to-day operations.
“We expect to get our final permit any day,” said Justin Olsen, chief operating officer at Johns Hopkins All Children’s. “Right now, we are actively working on foundations and have cleared the site.”
Ranked Florida’s top children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report, Johns Hopkins All Children’s is responding to rising patient volumes and increasingly complex cases, particularly in surgery. The new operating rooms will be the largest on campus and are designed for high-acuity procedures like neurosurgery, orthopedic reconstruction, and advanced airway treatments.
“We’re seeing more complex cases that require additional professionals and equipment in the room,” Olsen said. “This expansion gives us the space and design to handle those challenges while freeing up our current ORs for lower acuity procedures.”
Key features of the expansion include:
- New emergency exam rooms and surgical suites
- A third in-house MRI machine, replacing a remote trailer
- Relocated interventional radiology lab for improved anesthesia coordination
- A new on-site steam energy plant to ensure uninterrupted sterilization and heating
- Relocated blood bank and stat lab for continued operation during severe weather
Dubbed a “kitchen sink project” by Olsen, the expansion brings multiple critical functions under one roof. The hospital, located in St. Petersburg’s Innovation District, is part of a broader surge in healthcare investment in the area, including Orlando Health Bayfront’s upcoming “Institute Square” development.
While Johns Hopkins continues expanding its footprint across the region — including a 114-acre property purchased in Wesley Chapel — Olsen said the St. Petersburg campus will remain the hub for its most advanced services.
“Care delivered in one setting improves quality,” Olsen said. “This project is a commitment to ensuring that the most complex services remain centralized in the safest, most efficient way possible for our region.”
