Village Tables Medical Center's Zoning Requests for New Patient Tower

The Oak Lawn Planning and Development Commission dolled out some harsh medicine to  Advocate Christ Medical Center, tabling its zoning change requests for a new 9-story patient tower.

Medical center officials and their consultants met with commissioners on Monday evening before a packed village hall to discuss “Phase II” of Advocate Christ’s $600 million expansion plan—the largest construction project in village history.

The village asked for more time to vet specific areas of the medical center's plans to address residents' concerns about traffic and flood control.

Advocate Christ President Ken Lukhard said the hospital is full 93 percent of time and turns away between 5,000 to 8,000 patients annually. The medical center’s emergency department is also the busiest in the state, treating up to 105,000 patients annually.

The new patient tower would allow the medical center to increase space and capacity, including additional operating rooms and doubling the size of the emergency department.

The Planning and Development Commission voted 5-2 to continue the public hearings until its next meeting on May 21.

Read the recap of Monday's Planning and Development Commission Meeting.