Groundbreaking Held for The Inn of Tomorrow

(L-R) Jamie Gentille, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, Jennie Lucca, and Brian Kelly break ground on The Inn of Tomorrow

The Inn of Tomorrow is on its way to becoming a reality after The Children’s Inn at NIH held a groundbreaking ceremony on November 13 to commemorate the official beginning of the renovation and expansion project that has been under consideration for the past several years.

Jennie Lucca, the CEO of The Children’s Inn, welcomed assembled donors, guests, and media members and emphasized the renewed commitment the groundbreaking represented for the partnership between The Inn and the National Institutes of Health. “The groundbreaking ceremony represents the beginning of a bright new future for The Inn,” she said. “It is also the culmination of years of planning and hard work by our team and coordination with NIH leaders. We will now start to see more tangible results of that preparation as The Inn remains an integral part of the medical discoveries being made at NIH every day.”

Brian Kelly, Chair of the Board of Directors for The Inn, then approached the podium and thanked the members of the Board, each of whom has contributed to the Building Extraordinary capital campaign that is supporting the project. He also recognized the collaborative efforts of The Inn and NIH leadership and welcomed Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, NIH Director, to speak.

NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for The Inn of Tomorrow

After emphasizing the importance of the Inn to the groundbreaking medical discoveries being made every day at the NIH Clinical Center, Dr. Bertagnolli welcomed Jamie Gentille up to speak. Now a member of The Inn’s Board, Gentille first came to The Inn as a 10-year-old child dealing with a positive HIV test. She shared her inspirational story of hope and emphasized the ways in which The Inn eased the burden of her life-threatening illness, making visits to the hospital highlights of her childhood and turning The Inn into a true “Place Like Home” for her and her family.

Lucca then returned to the microphone and welcomed members of The Inn community to join her in officially breaking ground on The Inn of Tomorrow, which is expected to open its doors in 2027.

Construction is slated to begin in earnest in early January. The Inn and its architectural partners Perkins & Will have engaged the design agency Local Projects to work specifically on the Merck Tower of Hope, a beacon with two interior spaces that will serve as the centerpiece of the newly renovated Inn. Local Projects is responsible for projects such as the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, as well as Planet Word, the world’s first voice-activated museum, in Washington, D.C. Their design for the Merck Tower of Hope promises to be an awe-inspiring, multi-sensory, inclusive space for all families at The Inn. It will be a flexible information hub, as well as an invitation for creative exploration, allowing families to immerse in unexpected, imaginative worlds.

With the groundbreaking now complete, several notable updates have already taken place. Last winter, ground was broken on the Young Adult Residence, to be housed in a residential building across West Drive from The Inn’s main building. This facility will focus primarily on the unique needs of the young adult population that comes to The Inn, which serves children, teens, and young adults from birth to age 30.

10-year-old Angel and his mother, Inmaculata, participate in the groundbreaking

With construction ready to begin, 100 percent of the drawings needed for the development of The Inn of Tomorrow have been submitted by Perkins & Will. Internally, Inn staff is coordinating efforts to maintain records and storage needs while also continuing to serve families at the same high level during the construction phase.

The Children’s Inn at NIH is a private, nonprofit “Place Like Home” for children and their families participating in pediatric research at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, the world’s premier biomedical research hospital. The Inn reduces the burden of illness through therapeutic, educational, and recreational programming – all at no cost to the families. Since opening in 1990, families from around the world and all 50 states have considered The Inn their home. As a partner in discovery and care with the NIH, The Inn strives for the day when no family endures the heartbreak of a seriously ill child. 

Check out photos from the event on our Flickr album