A Chicago city council panel is recommending approval of a $700 million St. Anthony Hospital campus with an ASC, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Jan. 25.
The committee on zoning, landmarks and building standards unanimously approved the 12-story, 151-bed hospital and campus, which will be voted on by the full council Jan. 26. Construction would begin next year and finish in 2026.
Alongside the ASC, the facility would include an office building, retailers, a vocational school and athletic fields.
“I have received several hundred letters of support for this project,” Ald. Michael Rodriguez told committee members, according to the Sun-Times.
The development has been in the works for more than a decade. The city council first saw ordinances related to the deal in 2010, and neighborhood engagement began in 2012. The proposal has been revised over the years to address residents’ objections about the closure of the facility previously on the site, which provided vocational training and was run by the public schools and trade unions.
Some residents argued that the development could spur displacement of people with lower incomes, and it should include affordable housing.