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DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines University (DMU) announced Monday its plans to relocate the campus to a space in West Des Moines.

DMU signed a letter of intent to purchase a 90-acre piece of land that sits on the north side of West Grand Avenue, located between South Jordan Creek Parkway and South 88th Street. The land is bounded on the north by Booneville Road.

DMU has been located at 3200 Grand Avenue since 1972.

“The DMU Board of Trustees unanimously endorses President Franklin’s leadership with the campus relocation and master planning process,” said Board of Trustees Chairman, Michael C. Witte, D.O.’77. “We are setting the stage for strategic growth of the University, and embracing the powerful, evolutionary trends in education and health care delivery. The current site on Grand Avenue simply cannot accommodate the plans we have for expansion of our curriculum, facilities, and clinical services.”

DMU has not yet announced a timeline for when the relocation will take place.

Last Year, DMU received backlash from residents in the Greenwood neighborhood over a proposed expansion project that would have included a wooded area in the historic neighborhood.

DMU is a non-profit, so it does not pay any property taxes.

DMU is the only private medical school in Iowa. It offers graduate-level, professional degree programs in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, health care administration, anatomy, biomedical sciences and public health.