Hennepin Healthcare will soon begin a major overhaul that will reshape its downtown Minneapolis hospital campus over the next several years. Near U.S. Bank Stadium, the Hennepin County Medical Center is made up of a number of concrete-heavy structures scattered across eight city blocks.
According to David Hough, the administrator of Hennepin County, those structures have outlived their usefulness. At some point, Hennepin Healthcare wants to erect a brand-new inpatient hospital tower at Chicago Avenue and Eighth Street. On what is currently a surface lot at 600 Park Ave., construction on a 1,050-stall parking ramp will begin in the second half of 2023.
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The structure is expected to cost close to $100 million. It will also have a brand-new EMS dispatch and training facility. In order to make room for the hospital tower, Hennepin Healthcare will destroy a 1,400-stall ramp at Eighth and Chicago once the ramp is finished. Additionally, it will begin work on an addition to its 2018-completed Clinic and Specialty Center the following year.
The strategy will modernize and reduce the size of one of Minnesota’s most significant trauma hospitals. In a part of the city that is rapidly expanding, it will also free up great real estate. It’s probably going to be large, with pre-construction costs alone estimated at $20 to $25 million.
More on the Hennepin Healthcare Minneapolis overhaul
According to Hennepin Healthcare CEO Jennifer DeCubellis, “We will create the new inpatient tower. We will have the ability to knock down some of those old buildings, repurpose them, and really re-energize that side of Minneapolis. The new hospital tower will also reduce the number of double- and triple-occupancy rooms. Further, it will increase the number of family rooms.
The proposal will include a skyway that will link the hospital to the downtown. It will provide access to the future headquarters of Thrivent Financial. The ramp construction project is about to start the bidding process. Construction of the inpatient tower wouldn’t start until at least 2026, according to Hough, who also called it a “harsh” deadline.
