Midwestern University has received zoning to renovate the former Fry’s building at 3300 Finley Road in Downers Grove to serve as a new College of Veterinary Medicine and a Companion Animal Clinic that will serve the entire community. According to Dr. Kathleen Goeppinger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Midwestern University, the renovation will include an operating clinic, treatment rooms and surgical suites as well as educational space for a projected enrollment of 125 students per class.
To serve an eventual 4-year enrollment of 500 students and operate the college, Companion Animal Clinic and other related services, the new College of Veterinary Medicine will employ approximately 80 faculty and staff. Some 1,000 faculty, staff and student tutors are currently employed by Midwestern University operations in Illinois. Work is expected to begin as soon as construction documents are approved by the Village of Downers Grove.
Companion Clinic to Serve the Community
To enable students to observe faculty treating patients and serve the local community, the new College of Veterinary Medicine will include a companion Clinic, open to the public. The Clinic will provide both routine and specialty care for all domestic pets. Specialty services for animals will include dental, surgical, oncology, orthopedic and the full range of services standard at any animal hospital. Midwestern University has offered a D.V.M. degree program and Companion Animal Clinic on its Glendale, AZ campus since 2012.
The University’s goal is to have the building open prior to the first class of students arriving in the Fall of 2026. Graduates completing the 4-year academic cycle will earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree and can expect excellent job opportunities given a growing need for skilled veterinarians throughout the U.S. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected 20 percent growth in employment for veterinarians from 2022 to 2032, there is currently only one school of veterinary medicine in the State of Illinois.
DGEDC Assisted with Site Selection
“Along with the Village of Downers Grove staff, DGEDC helped Midwestern University discover the former Fry’s Electronics building, which had been vacant since 2021. “While Midwestern University was not the type of tenant we initially expected to occupy the building, collaboration revealed that their creative reuse of the building would be an outstanding option,” stated Bryan Gay, President and CEO of the DGEDC. “The new clinic will bring thousands of visitors, clinicians and their pets to Downers Grove annually, creating a hub of activity in the Butterfield Road corridor and serving as an example of the many ways DGEDC can help connect the dots in commercial and industrial real estate.”
