HOUSTON—Last week, Memorial Hermann broke ground on the $650-million expansion and renovation of its Texas Medical Center (TMC) Campus.

The Breaking New Ground expansion and renovation project began las fall and is expected to deliver in 2019. A cornerstone of the project will be the construction of a new patient care building and an additional building that will include parking and infrastructure capabilities to support the new growth.

"With this renovation and expansion project, we are ensuring that the communities we serve have access to a critical care infrastructure that Memorial Hermann uniquely provides," President and CEO Dan Wolterman said in a release. "We are taking a forward-looking approach to establishing this infrastructure that will effectively meet the health needs of future generations."

Founded in 1925 as the first hospital in the Texas Medical Center, the original facility was 200,000 square feet. Today, Memorial Hermann's flagship hospital encompasses more than 2.5 million square feet. After the expansion, the campus will grow to 3.84 million square feet.

The expansion will also provide 160 additional beds (plus 71 replacement beds); 24 operating rooms (19 replacement and five new); 16 additional emergency room bays; 750 new parking spaces; and a 335-seat café.

The 15-story patient care tower will also house the Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute and Memorial Hermann Life Flight, including the John S. Dunn Helistop and the dispatch center, as well as the John S. Dunn Burn Center, which will expand to 20 beds. In addition, seven shelled floors and six shelled operating rooms will be constructed to accommodate future growth with the potential of adding 264 beds.