- Credibility:
GRAND BOULEVARD — A new outpatient facility may be coming to Bronzeville, courtesy of Northwestern Medicine.
Representatives from the healthcare provider unveiled their proposal for a 100,000-square-foot clinic in the 4800 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue during a virtual meeting with the Grand Boulevard Advisory Council and Ald. Sophia King (4th).
The clinic would offer a variety of services, including primary/specialty care, a cancer center, diagnostic imaging, behavioral health and preventative care. Similar facilities are being planned for Irving Park and Lincoln Square. Northwestern Medicine would also be extending its Northwestern Medicine Scholars program to Kenwood Academy students — similar to one at Westinghouse College Prep — where they can explore careers in healthcare.
Bright Star Church Pastor Chris Harris, who has been collaborating with Northwestern Medicine for the last eight years on wellness initiatives and is a community partner on the project, spoke of the healthcare provider’s work and its commitment to the community.
“When we told them we didn’t want to date anymore, that we wanted to be married, and that we needed them to commit to Bronzeville in a broader way, they went beyond that. We’ve been able to build a 105-organization coalition where we’ve been focusing on workforce development, trauma and so many other things,” Harris said.
According to Northwestern Medicine, 839 Bronzeville residents travel outside of their neighborhood to one of their facilities for care, and 164 residents from the area are receiving in-patient care daily. Bringing a clinic closer to home would alleviate strain on patients who wouldn’t be forced to trek to the Gold Coast for appointments.
The project is still in the planning stages, and the hospital is in the process of securing parcels of privately-owned land adjacent to a city-owned lot to build the facility. But the building’s design would be similar to the proposed sites in Irving Park and Lincoln Square, said Bill Christie, senior vice president of external affairs for the healthcare provider.
Money for the project would come from Northwestern Medicine’s coffers.
Plans also call for ground-level retail and an “aesthetically pleasing” parking structure that will fit into the facility’s design, added Christie.
The clinic would also bring jobs — 1,000 during the construction phase, and 100 permanent jobs as clinical services come online. Charlie Cloutier, director of planning and construction, said the team they’ve assembled for the project will be the “key drivers of success” for diversity and community engagement. Cloutier said that they’ll be looking to the community for input as the project progresses.
The team hopes to break ground in the next 12-18 months.
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