"It's really a major addition that's being thought of as a campus renewal, just because of the sheer size of what they're doing," says Roger Becker, SVP of project management with Lillibridge. "It's the same kind of thing going on elsewhere in health care, with patients and their families expecting more, so there is a move to single bedrooms as opposed to double bedrooms, and other amenities. So many hospital facilities are aging and wearing out, and they're not configured for current and future technologies. There is a competitor across the highway, so there is also market pressure and a need to maintain competitiveness."

Designed by Milwaukee-based architect Kahler Slater, the 480,000-square-foot, seven-story hospital was planned to achieve LEED certification, and configured to conserve energy and resources. The new space will offer 180 new beds to be built onto the hospital's existing 353-bed building, and include 36 beds for the intensive care unit. The addition will also house the Methodist Cardiology Group, the imaging department, emergency department and surgical services floor.

An 80,000-square-foot, four-story community pavilion will be constructed on the north end of the campus. It will house the hospital's administrative offices, food service department, a conference center and community education rooms, to be available to the public. A six-level parking deck, already under construction and slated for completion this summer, rounds out the project and will connect to the hospital's main building via a covered skywalk.

"This is the largest project the hospital has ever done, so there's a lot of risk of money, because they're investing hundreds of millions and they need to make the right decisions," Becker says. "They want to have maximum return on their investment and benefit to the hospital now and in the future."