Advocate Christ Slips in Second Parking Garage
Although village and corporate boards still need to approve it, medical center officials seem pretty confident in plans to build another parking garage.
Photos
A proposed, second parking garage received cursory mention during Monday’s town hall meeting hosted by Advocate Christ Medical Center to discuss the new ambulatory pavilion and parking garage.
“Phase 2” of the Advocate Christ expansion project is to include a second parking structure on the medical center’s campus, directly across the street from Hope Children’s Hospital at 93rd Street and Kostner.
“We'd like to build another parking structure there, to create some additional parking capacity on the campus,” Advocate Christ COO Dominica Tallarico told residents. “Parking is something that continues to be a challenge for both visitors and patients.”
The parking structure is scheduled to go before the Oak Lawn Planning Commission on Aug. 1. It is expected to yield 585 parking spaces, an increase of roughly 410 spaces. The current existing surface parking lot holds 175 spaces.
Tallarico said adding another parking garage would decrease parking congestion on the medical center campus.
“We want to increase parking capacity on the campus in preparation for, at some point down the road, the recommendation by the facility planners that we take down the old west tower parking garage,” Tallarico said.
Although the parking is not yet designed, medical center officials said it could up to four stories tall. Tallarico added that the plans for the parking structure are still in the “infancy stages,” so the exact dimensions and parking spaces are up in the air.
Plans for the parking structure still need the approval of the village and Advocate’s corporate board in Oak Brook.
During construction, employees will park at the Oak Lawn Ice Arena and St. Paul Lutheran Church. Equipment will be stored on the construction site and materials delivered the day of their use.
firefighter
10:31 am on Thursday, July 28, 2011
I'm in favor of any improvements for Christ Hospital, but I don't get why they want to build a parking garage only 4 stories tall? They one they just build south of this location was built knowing that it wasn't going to be large enough, now they are going to build another that won't be large enough either. Did I hear right, they want to build a storefront with garage structure above at the old Pandora restaurant on 95th and Kilbourn? That's what I mean, common, build one big enough, stop wasting valuable space with parking garages. The only reason I can figure is maybe there are building codes that make 5 or more floors more expensive or more codes to follow.
Michael Walsh
3:41 pm on Thursday, July 28, 2011
Someone in government needs to hold Christ Hospital accountable for their impact on the taxpayers. The fire department has equipment that is only necessary because of the Hospital and the Hilton. Christ also impacts heavily on the police department. Villages never hesitate to impose impact fees on home builders for their effect on schools. How about an impact study before approval?
STM
7:26 am on Saturday, August 6, 2011
Why don't they just turn Christ Hospital main campus into a huge parking lot and use the existing and future lots for patients. On the outside lots they can put up tents and take care of patients inside tents. Another thing is what does the Village of Oak Lawn and the citizens of Oak Lawn have to gain from all of this expansion of the hospital? What kind of benefit is there for Oak Lawn and its citizens? None. Maybe our taxes will go up instead of going down. I hear that Christ Hospital does not pay any taxes and they get some benefits from the village for free. If this is true it is not right. Also take into consideration the traffic congestion all of this expansion , during and after construction will create.
I am against the expansion of Christ Hospital.