Groundbreaking for the cardiac expansion will take place in October 2002 and construction is expected to be complete by early 2005.

Fund raising for the heart hospital will be done by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving cardiovascular health through clinical research and community education, in partnership with Abbott Northwestern Hospital. John G. Turner, vice chairman of ING America, has been named chairman of the heart hospital philanthropic campaign.

When completed, the 388,000-sf building will centralize the hospital's 128 cardiac beds and allow space for future growth. The building is an expansion of the current Abbott Northwestern Hospital and will be located on the east side of the campus, along 10thAvenue and south of the Piper Building.