Catherine Tilly toured the inside of the community kitchen on the second floor of St. Jude’s Domino’s Village on Wednesday.

Tilly, a Chicago-based artist, helped paint several illustrations and décor hanging around the new housing expansion on the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital campus in Memphis, including the animal photos hanging above the dining room table in the community kitchen.

For Tilly, helping St. Jude is always a privilege in itself. A family friend's child was treated at the hospital.

She said something like this, like Domino’s Village, creates a home and helps alleviate so much stress for the families and — more importantly — the children.

On Wednesday, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital unveiled its $110 million Domino’s Village expansion.

“It is a truly remarkable day and truly special day for our facility,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. “Home is a critical part of healing and home is what we celebrate today… this is a brand-new home away from home.”

Expected to officially open in October, the six-story, 307,000-square-foot facility was announced in September 2020. Families will be able to stay inside the 140-unit complex for the duration of their stay at St. Jude. The residential development has a series of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units that are fully furnished for short-term and long-term stays.

Families visiting from 35 miles or more, will have their entire stay covered. A tradition started by ALSAC and St. Jude founder Danny Thomas.

Actress Marlo Thomas, the daughter of Danny Thomas, was in attendance during Wednesday's opening ceremony. She shared a story about how her father always envisioned St. Jude would take care of the entire family. In the early years, she recalls, St. Jude was covering costs for 51,000 hotel room stays annually.

“Wish dad could see his dream now. His dream on steroids,” she said.

GOLF IN MEMPHIS: St. Jude patients hit the putting green with PGA players, and everyone wins

Domino’s committed $100 million toward the development. The pizza franchise has partnered with St. Jude since 2004 and raised more than $70 million in partnership with the hospital.

Domino’s Village features a second-floor space entirely dedicated to amenities. The second floor includes a community kitchen adjacent to a barbecue and outdoor grill area. Outside the main dining hall, which boasts its own food court, is an outdoor playground and TV theater. The playground includes a padded surface area made of recycled materials and ADA access for children.

Inside, families and visitors can enjoy “Danny’s Game Zone,” a game room outfitted with a PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, foosball table, and even a retro tabletop arcade of Pac-Man and Centipede.

The second-floor amenities also include a fitness room, a non-denominational prayer room, a beach-themed toddler play area, and an art room where children can draw, paint and work with other arts and crafts.

The upper floors of Domino’s Village include the residential units and a medical clinic for check-ups and quick exams, such as preliminary blood work. The 140 apartments are split between 40 efficiency rooms, 96 two-bedrooms and four three-bedrooms.

“Domino’s Village offers a place where patient families can find comfort along their journey, a place where they can unwind, connect, and recharge, as they would at home,” St. Jude President and CEO Dr. James Downing said.

Downing said the facility has been 10 years in the making and is unlike any in the world. The goal was to always add more amenities for families and children. With the new building, he said, children can wake up and come downstairs in their pajamas to get bloodwork done and then go back to playing with family and friends.

A second-floor sky bridge, overlooking Third Street, connects Domino’s Village to the main St. Jude campus.

The Domino’s Village development is part of a series of campus expansions at St. Jude. In 2022, St. Jude announced plans for a $12.9 billion expansion. The expansion will include two 15-story towers and an underground parking garage along Danny Thomas Boulevard.

On Sept. 25, the Cordova-based branch of Flint Co., filed a construction permit for the new 215,930-square-foot parking garage at 251 Danny Thomas Blvd. The estimated cost of construction for the new garage is $62,216,445, according to the permit application.

Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter, @neilStrebig

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: St. Jude's Domino's Village: A look inside new family housing