Lurie Children’s gets state approval for $480-million hospital in Downers Grove

Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago received state approval Thursday to build a $480-million pediatric hospital and outpatient center in Downers Grove, paving the way for the health system’s first inpatient hospital outside its Chicago campus.

The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board approved the hospital’s Certificate of Need application, a key step toward expanding pediatric emergency and specialty care in the western suburbs.

The proposed 298,000-square-foot facility will include 48 inpatient beds, an emergency department, operating rooms, diagnostic imaging and outpatient services. It is also expected to offer specialty care in oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology and orthopedics.

Lurie Children’s said the project is intended to make specialized pediatric care more accessible to families in the western suburbs, many of whom currently travel outside their communities to receive treatment.

“Every child deserves access to the specialized care they need, as close to home as possible,” Tom Shanley, the hospital’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

The hospital plans to begin site excavation in December, pending the release of permits by the village of Downers Grove. It expects to see its first patients in spring 2029.