The Portland Planning Board Tuesday gave the green light to Maine Medical Center's plans for a $512 million dollar expansion of its facility in the city's West End.
The board's unanimous vote allows the hospital to move ahead with plans to add two patient floors, with 64 oncology rooms, to the hospital's East Tower, to move its helipad there, and to add three levels to its visitor parking garage.
“This project is going to provide a tremendous benefit to Maine and all who need first-class health care in our community,” says Maine Medical's president and CEO Rich Petersen, in a press release issued Tuesday.
When completed, the project would add 128 new private patient rooms, 19 rooms for performing surgical procedures and other treatments, and an additional 225 parking spaces. The plan also includes a new parking garage for employees.
Hospital officials say the work will be done in three phases, some of which will disrupt travel on parts of Congress Street, a major artery into the city. Construction is expected to begin in early May and the entire project finished by the end of 2019.
Maine Med officials say they expect to submit site plan applications for the project’s two remaining phases later this year.