Lurie Children’s Hospital outpatient center adding to suburban ‘medtail’ redevelopment trend

The first phase of the Lurie Children’s Hospital outpatient center in Schaumburg is reaching completion with the expected opening of its Ambulatory Infusion Center on Aug. 18.

Other services are expected to go live in early October, making the new 75,000-square-foot facility at 1895 Arbor Glen Blvd., near the northwest corner of Roselle Road and Hillcrest Boulevard, fully operational, company officials said.

It will be the second major addition to the health care landscape in Schaumburg within the month, following the first phase of services at Duly Health and Care’s new 100,000-square-foot medical facility opening Monday at 1325 N. Meacham Road.

“From the village’s perspective, these are two great names in the health care industry,” Schaumburg Economic Development Director Matt Frank said.

Despite never having been home to a hospital, Schaumburg’s visibility, accessibility and amenities are making it a popular destination for new health care sites, he added.

“I would point to our growing population and the daytime population,” Frank said.

This spring, Hanger Clinic also opened a 19,500-square-foot integrated care clinic for orthotic and prosthetic patients in the former Ethan Allen furniture store at 640 E. Golf Road.

Though health care historically hasn’t been a prominent component of economic development in Schaumburg, the new arrivals check many of the same boxes by providing employees and clients likely to patronize nearby businesses.

In the commercial real estate industry, the phenomenon is known as “medtail” by mixing medical uses in or near retail environments, Frank said.

Duly is expecting an ultimate total of 120 employees to serve an estimated 25,000-plus patient visits per month, while Lurie is anticipating 85 staff members to receive about 60,000 patient visits per year.

Inside a former At Home store, next door to a bustling Costco and surrounded by many restaurants and other major stores, Duly’s location is no fluke, company officials said. They acquired the site four years ago and began its preparation last year when they felt the timing was right.

Nicolas Dronen, vice president for enterprise strategy and growth at Duly, told the Schaumburg Business Association in June that convenience and cost efficiency were key to the company choosing these locations near other retail sites.

“(Duly has) grown over its 30-year evolution by meeting the patients where they’re at,” he said.

The $60 million Lurie center will offer comprehensive pediatric specialty care services, including cardiology, neurology and urology, as well as orthopedic and pediatric surgeries. Other services will include therapeutic, rehabilitation and diagnostic and imaging services such as audiology, cardiac rehab and ultrasound.

Lurie’s Ambulatory Infusion Center will be the first pediatric-only infusion center outside of a hospital in the Chicago area.

Major health care facilities haven’t been entirely absent from Schaumburg before now, though not to the extent of this recent spate of development the village has seen.

The 61,000-square-foot outpatient center Northwest Community Healthcare opened at 519 S. Roselle Road in November 2023 and consolidated services previously housed in a pair of 40-year-old buildings in the village.

Despite its sizable population, hospitals in Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates and Arlington Heights largely serve Schaumburg residents.