Flad Selected to Transform Department Store into LSU Health Shreveport Medical Research Facility

The LSU Health Sciences Foundation has selected Flad Architects to transform a former Sears department store into a state-of-the-art Medical Research Facility. In collaboration with two Shreveport-based architectural firms, Prevot Design and SBB Architects, Flad will lead the design of this adaptive reuse project.

In September 2024, LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) and the LSU Health Sciences Foundation announced the acquisition of an 18-acre property at Mall St. Vincent. The site includes a three-story, 160,000-square-foot former Sears department store, 68,000 square feet of adjoining mall space, a 27,000-square-foot detached automotive center, and more than 800 parking spaces.

The first phase of the project will involve the renovation of approximately 60,000 square feet of the former Sears building, converting it into a state-of-the-art, flexible research facility. The space will feature open labs, office areas, and support spaces designed to rival other leading academic health centers across the U.S.

Located less than a mile from the main LSUHS campus, the new facility is set to elevate the visibility and prestige of the research being conducted at LSUHS. It will build upon the institution's existing strengths in cancer and cardiovascular research.

March 13, 2025