Suburban Hospital’s building project clears a hurdle

Date: September 16, 2011

In late July, the Montgomery County Council unanimously approved the closing of a one-block stretch of Lincoln Street, a critical step in Suburban Hospital’s plans for a new clinical building, the first such addition in more than 30 years. The street separates the hospital from its parking garage.

The County Council’s decision was the latest action in a multi-year process that has involved complex zoning issues, opposition by the neighborhood that surrounds the hospital, and other regulatory challenges. “The campus enhancement project will give us the facilities we need to bring the promise of Johns Hopkins Medicine to the residents of Montgomery County,” says Brian Gragnolati, Suburban Hospital president and CEO, and Johns Hopkins Medicine Community Division senior vice president.

The $230 million project will include 15 new state-of-the art operating rooms, private patient rooms and on-site physician offices. As Montgomery County’s designated Level 2 trauma center, the expanded hospital will feature improved access from the emergency/trauma center to the OR and radiology suites. The expansion will also provide much needed additional parking.

When all approvals from county zoning and planning officials have been secured, construction will take place in several phases. During that time, Suburban Hospital will remain open and provide all services.