What You Need to Know��

• Elwyn held a groundbreaking Feb. 6 for a new school on its Media, Pa., campus as part of its master campus plan.��

• The facility is expected to be completed in August 2027, with plans to welcome students in fall 2027.��

• Elwyn said the school will support two curriculum tracks, including programming for students with complex behavioral needs and for students working toward greater independence.��

• Elwyn has��allocated��$45 million for construction and design, with financing provided by KeyBank.��

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MEDIA, Pa. —��Elwyn, a nonprofit human services organization, has launched construction on a new school intended to reshape the organization’s educational and therapeutic space for children with disabilities.��

The organization marked the start of work Feb. 6 with a ceremonial groundbreaking attended by elected officials, community partners,��staff��and students.��

The project��marks a milestone in��Elwyn’s��master campus plan, with the organization approaching its 175th anniversary next year.��

“As we look ahead to our 175th anniversary, it’s thrilling to break ground on the New Elwyn School,” said Charles S. McLister, Elwyn president and CEO, according to��. “This project will set an example of what the future of education can look like for children and adults with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities.”��

, a full-service architecture, planning, and interior design firm, is pleased to announce the groundbreaking of the new��, a $45 million, 80,000-square-foot PreK–12 facility��located��at the heart of Elwyn’s 260-acre historic campus in Media, Pennsylvania. The new school is the first phase of Elwyn’s $100 million redevelopment plans for the campus.��

Designed in collaboration with Elwyn and an integrated design-build team, the new school will serve 260 students across two curriculum tracks: those with complex needs requiring intensive clinical support with onsite residential care and those building toward greater independence.����

“This project is about more than designing a school building; it’s about reimagining what a learning environment can do for students who have traditionally been underserved by conventional design,” said��Mayva��Donnon, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Partner at KSS Architects. “Every design decision is rooted in how��the space��will support students’ growth and independence. KSS is honored to partner with Elwyn by designing a campus that will champion inclusion and innovation for future generations.”����

The building is organized into learning neighborhoods that scale the environment to the individual student experience, offering calming, supportive spaces with direct views of nature using materials drawn from the character of Elwyn’s historic rural campus. A universal design framework rooted in neurodiversity informs every aspect of the plan, from intuitive wayfinding and biophilic design features to restorative spaces and integrated assistive technology. This approach fosters independence, wellness, and a genuine connection to place.��

Sensory rooms, decompression areas, and life skills kitchens complement classrooms and therapy spaces. Specialty program spaces, including music, art, a career discovery lab, and a gymnasium, support holistic student development. The result is a school that is both clinically informed and design-forward: a place where every detail, from the layout of a classroom to the materials on the walls, is grounded in how the space will help students feel, function, and thrive.��

Elwyn has��allocated��$45 million for the new school’s construction and design, with KeyBank providing financing. Elwyn also��identified��Haverford Development Partners as development and construction partner, with Haverford and North Star Construction slated to build the school.��The building is��anticipated��to be completed in August 2027, with plans to welcome students in fall 2027.��

This article is based on reporting originally published by Elwyn on Feb. 6, 2026.��

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By Lindsey Coulter

GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. — Gwynedd Mercy University has officially opened the Frances M. Maguire ’55 Healthcare Innovation Center (HIC), a 63,000-square-foot academic facility designed to redefine healthcare education through advanced simulation, interdisciplinary collaboration and sustainable design. Conceived as the centerpiece of the Frances M. Maguire Healthcare Innovation Campus, the building reflects the university’s commitment to preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals in the Mercy tradition.

Designed by Kimmel Bogrette Architects with MEP engineering by McHugh Engineering Associates and civil engineering by Bohler, the $23.5 million project represents the largest academic facility on the Gwynedd Mercy University campus. Irwin & Leighton served as construction manager, delivering the project through a design and construction timeline that spanned from September 2023 to August 2025. The state-of-the-market facility opened to students this fall.

“For more than 70 years, GMercyU has distinguished itself as a leader in preparing healthcare professionals who combine clinical excellence with genuine compassion,” said Deanne H. D’Emilio, JD, president of GMercyU. “With the opening of the Frances M. Maguire Healthcare Innovation Center, we are extending that legacy and positioning our students to meet today’s workforce demands and shape tomorrow’s care.”

The new facility includes nine skills labs and 15 simulation rooms, among them The Windmill Foundation Nurses’ Station, exam rooms for maternity, pediatric, and general patient care, ICU and hospital room replicas, and home-care studio settings. The Frances Cannata Stimmler ’66 and Joseph Stimmler Inspiration Station serves as a flexible space for large-scale simulation events and community collaboration, while the Jie Du, PhD Healthcare Innovation Commons provides a two-story atrium for interdisciplinary learning and engagement.

Advanced technologies include a Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Teaching (VERT) system, an ASL-5000 lung simulator, and high-fidelity simulation manikins. These tools enable realistic, hands-on training that bridges classroom learning and real-world healthcare environments.

“The HIC is a model for how healthcare education should be delivered,” said Dr. Jane Tang, dean of the Frances M. Maguire College of Nursing and Health Professions. “Our students are learning in environments that mirror real-world practice, where teamwork, technology, and compassion come together to respond to the needs of their communities and improve patient outcomes.”

The center is also designed to foster interprofessional education by bringing together students from nursing, respiratory care, psychology, social work, computer information science, and other disciplines. This integrated approach reflects GMercyU’s strategy to address workforce shortages and prepare graduates to provide whole-patient care in complex healthcare settings.

The Frances M. Maguire Healthcare Innovation Center strengthens the university’s Compassionate Care Collaborative, a partnership with healthcare systems, providers, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs to expand the regional healthcare talent pipeline. The initiative focuses on developing programs that address emerging needs such as telehealth, behavioral health, and integrated care, as well as exploring applications of artificial intelligence to improve patient equity and access.

“The opening of the HIC is a milestone for Gwynedd Mercy University and a tribute to the life and legacy of our beloved alumna, Frannie Maguire,” D’Emilio said. “It represents our vision for the future of healthcare education — one rooted in the Mercy tradition — and focused on preparing students to grow as professionals who address the healthcare needs of today and tomorrow with precision and compassion, always with a focus on improving equity and access for all.”

Made possible by a $10 million gift from the Maguire Foundation, the project underscores GMercyU’s dedication to innovation in healthcare education and its mission to serve the region’s growing workforce needs. The HIC stands as both a technological and educational cornerstone — and a testament to the Mercy values that continue to shape the university’s legacy.

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Upon completion, the 155,000-square-foot complex will better connect to the surrounding campus and community with a more open and transparent building design. Upgrades to the existing gymnasium will include a new entrance and lobby, comprehensive revamp of the basketball courts and seating, natatorium renovation with a new combination swimming/diving pool, expanded wrestling areas, a new weight room, new locker rooms and restrooms and a new auxiliary gymnasium.

The project was designed by a joint venture between DLA+ Architecture & Interior Design of Pittsburgh, Pa., and GUND Partnership of Cambridge, Mass. The early design goal was to elevate the facility to contemporary standards, bring additional natural light into the venue and optimize student socializing. Additionally, the new gym is designed to better serve student-athletes and the entire intercollegiate athletic program as well as grow fresh opportunities for physical fitness, nutrition and wellness programming. The project is designed to achieve LEED Silver certification, and is slated to be finalized in September 2019.

DLA+ is a full-service architecture and interior design firm dedicated to providing Strategic Architecture solutions through a collaborative and integrated approach. GUND Partnership works across the country with leading academic and cultural institutions to explore the power and potential of the built environment.

The project cost is $42.7 million and it is being funded by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services.

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