LAKEVIEW — Construction is finally set to begin on the controversial $150 million Presence Center for Advanced Care project by Saint Joseph Hospital.
The hospital officially broke ground this summer on the new medical building at Sheridan Road and Surf Street, and in the next month, parking restrictions will begin and construction equipment will start coming in.
The nine-story, 200,000-square-foot building will offer cancer care, an ambulatory surgery center, office suites and 350 parking spaces. A glass bridge will connect the new building to the hospital.
It's expected to open in summer 2015.
Starting Friday, the hospital will close the existing asphalt parking lot where the building will go up, according to the hospital's construction update site. On Monday, a ban on street parking will start on Surf between Sheridan and Commonwealth Avenue, and on Commonwealth on the east side of the construction site.
Cranes and drills are expected to move on the site by Nov. 18. As work continues, the construction website will be regularly updated to reflect changes, spokeswoman Angela Benander said.
And for residents looking for overnight parking options due to lost street parking, the hospital is offering some relief. Immediate neighbors can get a monthly parking pass or guest passes for the North Lake Shore Drive West Parking Structure by emailing or calling the hospital security office.
Monthly parking is available from 4-8 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays and from 4 p.m. Fridays to 8 a.m. Mondays, for residents living around the Surf surface lot from Diversey to Oakdale avenues and from Sheridan to Lake Shore Drive. Passes cost $150, Benander said.
When the project first surfaced years ago, condo owners sued the hospital in hopes of stopping the development, saying it would eliminate free parking, obstruct views and increase traffic, according to a CBS Chicago report at the time. The case went all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court, which ultimately dismissed it. A state Appellate Court panel eventually ruled in the hospital's favor.
The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board approved the project in the spring.
