The ceremonial groundbreaking on Aug. 23 officially initiated the $378 million expansion project of Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital attended by doctors, administrators, politicians, benefactors and others.
“We’re building an entirely new hospital and revitalizing the existing campus,” Tom McAfee, president of Lake Forest Hospital was quoted saying in Dailyherald.com. “We want this campus, when complete, to be a destination for health and wellness,” he added. U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk described it as “really important for the economic development of Illinois.”
With the construction budget of $220 million, the 463,000 sq.-ft. hospital will have 114 private inpatient beds and eight operating rooms. In addition, landscaping, the central power plant and all equipment and furnishings accounts for the rest of $378 million.
Designed by famous Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects of New Haven, Connecticut, the project is expected to be completed by 2017.
The construction integrates medical care with health and wellness. Hiking and biking trails will link it with the Lake Forest Health and Fitness Center and a new common area for community activities. The project serves as the first part of development for the redesigned 160-acre campus, while education and research facilities on the southern part of the campus will be next but is not part of this plan.
The hospital, acquired in 2010, is a wholly owned entity of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare.
