Chicago City Council approves plans for the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, including heliport
February 6, 2008 - The City Council approved plans on February 6, 2008, for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago to be located in the Streeterville community. The approval of Northwestern University’s Planned Development Amendment allows for the zoning and construction of the new 22-story hospital at 225 E. Chicago Avenue, directly west of Northwestern Memorial’s new Prentice Women’s Hospital. Named in recognition of philanthropist Ann Lurie’s $100 million gift, the hospital is scheduled to break ground this spring and open in 2012 pending government approval.
“This is a historic day for our institution and the community as we take one step closer toward a new facility that will enable us to continue to provide top quality health care for children of our region for generations to come,” said Patrick Magoon, President and CEO. Children’s Memorial must turn away a significant number of critically ill children each year because an appropriate bed is not available.
The new facility, located on the campus of its partner medical school, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, will help Children’s Memorial to continue to recruit and retain top physicians and scientists. Its adjacency to Northwestern Memorial’s new Prentice Women’s Hospital will offer convenience for families and direct clinical interaction to benefit newborns. Proximity to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Northwestern Memorial Hospital will improve transitional care for children with chronic illnesses into adult care.
Children’s Memorial has worked closely with 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly, the City of Chicago and the Streeterville community in an open and transparent process to develop its plans over the past two years. “We want to thank Mayor Daley, Alderman Reilly and the City of Chicago Departments of Planning, Transportation and the Office of Emergency Management and Communication for their guidance and support. We are grateful to Alderman Reilly for his leadership and support of our mission, and we appreciate his active engagement in this process,” said Magoon.
Significant commitments to improve traffic and parking in Streeterville have been made by Children’s Memorial, Northwestern University, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. These institutions collectively agreed to fund Traffic Control Aides, install pedestrian countdown signals, re-stripe Chicago Ave and Superior Street and create a comprehensive Traffic Management Plan that will be reviewed annually. Together the institutions are also providing an additional 1,100 parking spaces, at least 800 of which will be in a new garage on campus.
The City Council’s approval includes the permitted use of a rooftop heliport at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. An average of 73 critically ill and injured children are transported to Children’s Memorial by helicopter each year when clinicians deem it a medical necessity and pilots determine that conditions are safe for flight. The hospital has operated a rooftop heliport at its Lincoln Park facility for 20 years and has engaged in extensive studies with top experts to ensure that the new heliport will be safe.
Now that the City Council has approved zoning for the use of the heliport, the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics, comprised of independent experts responsible for determining the safety of heliports and granting and renewing heliport licenses throughout the State, will conduct their own analysis in conjunction with the Federal Administration Aviation.
“Safety is our top priority in the development of our rooftop heliport. It must be safe for our children, our staff and our neighbors. We look forward to a thorough review of our proposal by the independent experts at the State,” said Magoon.