UAB and Jefferson County unveil plans for the new & improved Cooper Green

Cooper Green Mercy Health Services is getting a $65M revamp. Here are the details about the clinic’s future plans, next steps and how you can help create this new clinic.  

On Tuesday, October 12, UAB and Jefferson County held a news conference to unveil updated plans for the construction of Cooper Green’s new clinic building. But, before we get into the details, let’s get you up to date on Cooper Green’s history.

Nearly 50 years ago in 1972, Mercy Hospital opened to provide high-quality healthcare to all residents of Jefferson County, regardless of ability to pay. Three years later, the hospital was renamed after Birmingham mayor and Jefferson County Commission president, Cooper Green. Due to the Jefferson County debt crisis, in 2013, the hospital’s operations switched to a primary and urgent care clinic.

This clinic has been an incredibly important part of the Birmingham community. Now, the new plans on the horizon will allow it to continue to make an impact.

Construction plans + next steps

Planning for Cooper Green’s new clinic building is underway right now, Birmingham. The clinic will be nestled on the north portion of Cooper Green’s lot where the current parking deck is—1515 6th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233.

The new Cooper Green is coming in two phases: demolishing the parking deck and building the clinic. Here’s the timeline:

• Demolition of the parking deck will be completed by Spring 2022.
• The new building opens to the public in 2025.

This building is a huge step for Cooper Green. Over the last couple of years, the clinic’s services have grown substantially. With a new building, the clinic can treat even more patients and continue to provide top-quality service.

“The new clinic is to serve as a basis of focus on patient care and the quality of that care, providing patients excellent access and convenience with the adoption of new technologies. Our hope is that the new Cooper Green clinic will be a standard of care, a model that will be for best practices nationally. It will strengthen the fact that Birmingham is a national epicenter for healthcare services.”

—David Randall, Chief Strategy Officer, UAB Health System

Want to get invloved with creating the new Cooper Green? Here’s how

To honor the history of the clinic, a team is archiving memories, photos and stories that will be incorporated into the new building. The Birmingham community is invited to contribute to this piece of the new building, too!

If you have any Cooper Green memories, you can share them to newcoopergreenbuilding@uabmc.edu. When the new building is done, you may see the tribute you shared hanging on the wall.

Are you as excited as we are for the new Cooper Green? Let us know on Instagram.