This view of the old Middle Tennessee Medical Center site, looking north from East Lytle Street to East Bell Street, shows most of the 17.4-acre site along North Highland Avenue. It includes green space, a 115,000-square-foot building at right and a 143,000-square-foot parking garage at left. (MTSU photo by News and Media Relations)

Middle Tennessee State University has been authorized by the Tennessee Building Commission to begin discussions on purchasing the former site of the Middle Tennessee Medical Center, located east of downtown Murfreesboro.

The 17.4-acre site on North Highland Avenue includes an 115,000-square-foot building and a 143,000-square-foot parking garage with 407 parking spaces and 188 surface parking spaces.

Many of the buildings on the old medical center site were razed after MTMC moved into a new facility on Medical Center Parkway in October 2010.

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said the university told the commission it would use the property for unspecified academic purposes if acquired. McPhee said the site is compatible with the university’s master plan for development.

In late June, the state Building Commission’s Executive Subcommittee approved MTSU’s request to obtain the title work for the former hospital site, as well as an appraisal, survey and a Phase 1 environmental assessment.