The ‘Center for Biomedical Excellence’ is coming to the Ohio Riverfront in Covington.
The center, a collaboration between Northern Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky, will house NKU’s Chase College of Law and UK’s College of Medicine Northern Kentucky campus.
On Tuesday, representatives from both universities announced the selection of 11 East Rivercenter Blvd. as the future home of the center. The site is currently a parking lot used by employees of the Covington RiverCenter, the Northern Kentucky riverfront’s most prominent office complex.
The decision follows a months-long search of downtown Covington led by engineering firm HDR, serving as the Northern Kentucky Port Authority’s owner representative, with development firm Pizzuti assisting in site evaluation.
“Locating the Commonwealth Center for Biomedical Excellence in bustling Covington, just across the Roebling Bridge from Cincinnati, places Chase Law School students at the center of the region’s legal, business, civic and social activity,” NKU President Cady Short-Thompson said in a news release. “The proximity to courts, firms, Convention Center and government offices gives them unmatched access to internships, clerkships and networking opportunities. This site immerses Chase Law School students in the environments where critical decisions are made, preparing them to lead and to serve in a rapidly changing legal landscape.”
The Port Authority plans buy the site from its current owner, the Butler Foundation, for $3.8 million. HDR will keep working with both universities and the Port to finalize design plans before a projected groundbreaking in spring 2026. The Port is accepting design-build proposals for the project, which are due Oct. 31.
According to a press release from Kenton County, the 1.89-acre site provides opportunity for future expansion by both universities. In addition, its current use as a surface-level parking lot shortens the timeline to start construction.
The $125 million project, funded by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2024, is expected to bring approximately 600 faculty, staff and students to downtown Covington. Once complete, it will return Chase Law School to Covington, where it was located from 1972 to 1981, and allow UK’s medical campus to expand its enrollment by 40%.