The Alice L. Walton Foundation announced on Wednesday (November 12) that the company is based in New York Cannon Design and based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida EDSA will design the Bentonville Health Care Campus to be built west of Interstate 49.
The first phase of the 100-acre campus includes construction of a Center for Advanced Specialty Care, a parking garage, a central utility building, and gardens and pathways. The first phase is expected to open in December 2028 in the northern portion of the campus, southwest of I-49 and East Central Avenue (Arkansas Highway 72). It will be accessible from Central Avenue and McCollum Drive.
In February, the Alice L. Walton Foundation announced the purchase of the 100-acre campus in a 30-year partnership valued at $700 million announced in September 2024 between Mercy, Heartland Whole Health Institute and the Foundation. The partnership includes $350 million from the foundation to develop a specialty care outpatient care center in Bentonville and $350 million from Mercy to build a new cardiac care center at its hospital in Rogers. The collaboration also includes the Cleveland Clinic, which will bring its cardiovascular knowledge to the effort.
“Our innovative partnership focused on providing world-class specialty care to our region needs equally innovative design partners,” said founder and philanthropist Alice Walton. “I am pleased to announce that CannonDesign and EDSA have been selected to design our future Bentonville Health Care Campus. They bring to this project an understanding of total health and how our environment and interactions impact our health and well-being. They have combined this understanding with an admiration for the beauty of the Ozark region and the collaborative spirit of our community and channeled it into designs that enhance accessibility, connection and ultimately well-being.”
Renderings show the building for the new center will range in height from four to seven levels. A spokeswoman said details, including cost, square footage and number of floors, have yet to be finalized because the project is still in early design stages.
“We are designing this campus from a life-centered design perspective, which examines how places can help people live healthier lives and support stronger communities,” said PJ Glasco, project manager and healthcare practice leader at CannonDesign. “What the Foundation seeks to achieve with this campus is extraordinary as it addresses connected health needs on a scale that few have ever attempted. Our team is excited to help bring this vision to life and demonstrate how design can directly contribute to healthier outcomes across the region.”
According to a news release, the Bentonville Health Care Campus will differ from traditional healthcare development projects that consist of a series of clinical buildings connected to parking lots. The new campus will be “a fully integrated environmental design focused on improving the health of the whole person – physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.”
The new campus's landscape will include green spaces, walking paths and pedestrian paths connected to “contemplative areas designed for quiet retreat,” the release said. “Water is both a unifying element of the landscape and an important part of the campus’s sustainability strategy.” Rainwater is collected, cleaned and reused.
“Every design decision is guided by ecological well-being and human experience,” said EDSA Director Gregg Sutton. “Through architecture, landscape and art, we create spaces that feel alive, connect people with nature and encourage healing. Materials such as wood, stone, glass and metal harmonize with flowing water and curated art to create environments that promote both physical and emotional well-being. The aim is for the campus to feel less like a place to be 'treated' and more like a place to live well.”
Construction of the first phase of the new campus is expected to begin in 2026. Arkansas-based architecture firm Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects will work with CannonDesign as a notable local architect. Polk Stanley Wilcox's most recent works include Alice L. Walton School of Medicine building that opened earlier this year at the Crystal Bridges Campus, about two miles west of the Bentonville Health Care Campus.
Other contractors include Flintco of Tulsa, Oklahoma, as construction manager, Nabholz of Conway is responsible for large-scale campus development, and Walter P. Moore of Houston is responsible for civil engineering.