ISU plans $7.9M Meridian lab expansion at Skaggs Health Science Center

Idaho State University plans a $7.9 million expansion at its Meridian campus inside the Sam and Aline Skaggs Health Science Center. BoiseDev reports the project will remodel existing space to add anatomy lab capacity and establish a university-based willed body donation program in the Treasure Valley.

According to ISU, the Idaho State Board of Education has approved the project. The work is tied to anatomy education needs at the campus and to partnerships involving the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of Idaho.

What’s changing

ISU said the remodel will convert 6,130 square feet of retired laboratory space next to the existing Treasure Valley Anatomy and Physiology Laboratories.

The project includes:

• A new 16-station human anatomy lab
• An expansion of the existing 34-station lab setup
• A two-station embalming suite
• Total project cost of about $7.9 million

BoiseDev reported that TVAPL is the exclusive anatomy training facility for Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Why ISU says more space is needed

ISU said ICOM increased enrollment by 75 students per cohort in fall 2025, adding pressure for more anatomy teaching space in Meridian.

The university also said the expansion would allow the first university-based willed body donation program in the Treasure Valley. That is a notable local shift, since ISU said its Pocatello-based donation program has already received more than 300 donations from Treasure Valley residents since 2020.

What it could support next

ISU said the added space is intended to support a proposed Treasure Valley undergraduate medical education partnership involving the University of Idaho and the University of Utah.

There is still another step there. A University of Idaho announcement from March 2026 said further action on that U of I-University of Utah partnership depends on legislative approval and Idaho State Board of Education approval.

Timeline

ISU said construction is expected to begin later in fall 2026. No completion date was listed in the notes reviewed.

For Meridian, this is less about a visible new building and more about a targeted interior expansion inside an existing health sciences facility. Even so, it adds capacity in a part of the Valley that continues to grow as a center for medical education and training.

Sources

• More Laboratory Space, More Health Professionals, More Healthcare Access for Idahoans | Idaho State University
• State board backs U of I, ISU anatomy lab partnership | University of Idaho
• Anatomical Donations | Idaho State University