Batesville, Ark.-based Lyon College has chosen a new location for its upcoming dental school after its previous property deal fell through.
The college had planned to purchase property at the Heifer International complex in Little Rock, Ark., through OneHealth Education Group, an arm of OneHealth Companies. The school received city approval for construction in October, but the deal fell through in December. Peter Goldstein, vice president of communications for Heifer International, could not say why the deal fell through.
Lyon College President Melissa Taverner, PhD, told Arkansas Business in December that the college was exploring other options for its Institute for Health Sciences, which would house both its new dental and veterinary schools, but still preferred the Heifer International complex.
Instead of hosting both schools on the same campus, the college now plans to open its dental and veterinary schools in separate areas, according to a May 7 news release. The Lyon College School of Dental Medicine will open in Little Rock's Riverdale neighborhood, while the veterinary school will be constructed in Cabot, Ark.
The new dental school will occupy six floors in a building that previously housed Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield offices. The building will be renovated to host classrooms, offices and patient care spaces for the school.
The Lyon College School of Dental Medicine will be the state's first dental school, and is scheduled to open in 2025.
Lyon College recently received $15 million in federal funding to support the dental school.