New Alexian Brothers Children’s Hospital continues to progress
Groundbreaking on the long-awaited new children’s hospital in Hoffman Estates appears to be just weeks away.
The Alexian Brothers Children’s Hospital headlines the $117 million expansion and renovation of St. Alexius Medical Center. The freestanding building will offer a full array of pediatric care for patients from infancy to age 18. The hospital projects the population of youngsters will rise by 25 percent over the next 25 years.
Construction on the children’s hospital could start next month pending approvals from the Hoffman Estates village board. The hospital could open in 2013.
Hoffman Estates Mayor McLeod has been patiently waiting for the groundbreaking, as plans for the expansion have been talked about for years.
“The hospital is a great amenity to have in the community,” McLeod said. “It’s one of our larger employers, and it’s nice to be on the cutting edge of the medical field. We’re very excited.”
On Monday night, the board will vote on final site plans for a $6.5 million, three-level parking garage on the east side of the hospital’s 16-acre campus off Barrington Road, north of Golf Road. The garage will contain 493 spaces, with 70 for hospital employees.
While parking is far from the most exciting part of the project, it is a crucial amenity. Some patients have already complained about a lack of parking. And now, given the predicted surge in patients, there’s even a more concrete need.
“If patients can’t get in, they can’t get care,” said Mary Ann Magnifico, vice president of construction for the Alexian Brothers Health System.
Workers in December completed a one-level parking garage on the west side of the hospital’s campus. The hospital hopes to start construction of the new garage in March. After all the construction, the hospital will gain 498 parking spaces, going from 1,956 to 2,454.
“It means there’s been a staggering amount of growth in Hoffman Estates and a strong amount of growth in the hospital that forces that kind of development to take place,” said Tim Gregg, who is working on the project as director of health care architecture for the Proteus Group.
There are no current plans to charge parking fees. Most suburban hospitals don’t charge for parking, but the practice is more common in Chicago.
While construction continues, the hospital employs a temporary lot and uses a shuttle bus to transport patients back and forth. A no-tipping valet service is also employed.
Alexian Brothers continues to solicit donations for the project, which is funded by donations and private sources. They’re hoping to raise $20 million. For more information on the project, go to myalexiankids.net.
Construction timeline
Heres the tentative timeline for construction at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates.
September 2010 — West parking deck construction started
December 2010 — West parking deck construction completed
March 2011 — East parking deck construction slated to begin
March 2011 — Groundbreaking for childrens hospital scheduled
September 2011 — East parking deck construction slated to finish
Late 2012, early 2013 — childrens hospital Phase I slated for completion and opening, along with the completion of various hospital renovations.
Source: Tim Gregg, Proteus Group