Henry Ford Health breaks ground on $2.2 billion expansion
(CBS DETROIT) - The $2.2 billion plan to expand Henry Ford Hospital is underway.
On Thursday, Detroit leaders, politicians, teams and community members celebrated the groundbreaking. It wasn't just a momentous day for Henry Ford Health and its partners but for the community, especially those living in the area.
Destination Grand is what they are calling it, and a celebration took place at the heart of it off the Lodge and Grand Boulevard.
It will span more than 1.2 million square feet thanks to the new state-of-the-art hospital facility and include a 20-story patient tower with three floors dedicated to providing intensive inpatient rehab in partnership with the Shirly Ryan AbilityLab.
The Gilbert family donated $130 million to make this happen.
The emergency room will also double in size to 75,000 square feet. Operating rooms will all be capable of handling nearly every type of complex surgical case, from transplants to brain surgery.
"This is going to be their home, their hospital," said Henry Ford Health CEO Bob Riney. "We are building park space and integrating music and art throughout the community. I think they are going to find this to be an amazing, welcoming addition to the neighborhood, and that is our commitment. We want to grow and prosper in the area."
The project is Henry Ford Health's most significant investment in the city and the single largest health care investment in Detroit's history.
The project is set to be completed by 2029.