Construction To Begin For Expansion At Advocate Christ Medical Center

OAK LAWN, Ill. (CBS) -- Construction will begin in October on an expansion at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, after state officials approved it this week.

The $202 million, 308,334 square-foot addition to the hospital will contain outpatient clinics and operating rooms, endoscopy laboratories, space for advanced imaging technology, and three campus institutes – cancer, heart and vascular, and neurosciences. The hospital's Women's Center will also have space in the building.

The addition will be constructed on the northwest edge of the hospital campus, at 95th Street and Kilbourn Avenue.

Also to be constructed is a six-level, 640-space parking garage directly across Kilbourn Avenue. A pedestrian bridge will connect the parking garage to the building.

Hospital officials say centralizing the outpatient services will free up space for emergency room and inpatient services in the main hospital.

The new pavilion is scheduled to open in 2013.

The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board approved the expansion plan on Tuesday, the same day the board voted to close another major area hospital about eight miles directly to the south.

The board voted 7-1 Tuesday to close Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County, at 159th Street and Cicero Avenue in Oak Forest, and have it converted into a regional outpatient center. The county plans to close the hospital by Sept. 1.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

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