Florida State University opened its new Health Research and Collaboration Building on October 30, bringing medical research, clinical services and healthcare training together at its Tallahassee Memorial Hospital campus.
The university's trustees voted that morning to name the 137,000-square-foot facility for Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. FSU credited Simpson, a former state Senate president, with helping secure construction and recurring funding.
The first floor houses the FSU Family Medicine Residency practice, which the university says serves more than 12,000 patients annually. The second floor provides simulation settings, including hospital and operating rooms and a furnished one-bedroom apartment, for training in different care environments.
Biomedical, clinical and translational research occupy the third and fourth floors. Facilities include tissue-culture laboratories, biobanking and gene-editing resources, plus examination and procedure rooms.
FSU said the $137.5 million building can accommodate more than 150 researchers. Its forecast of more than $217 million in annual economic impact is a university projection, rather than a measured result of the opening.
The dedication follows agreements finalized in September between FSU and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare establishing a longer-term framework for their health partnership.
Sources Florida State University — October 30 opening announcement: https://news.fsu.edu/news/university-news/2026/10/30/fsu-health-opens-new-research-and-collaboration-building-names-it-for-florida-ag-commissioner-wilton-simpson/