Northwestern Medicine Opens Outpatient Pavilion

CHICAGO — Northwestern Medicine’s presence in Chicago has gotten a lot larger with a 1 million-square-foot outpatient pavilion that offers retail and dining options in addition to health services.

Northwestern Medicine opened the pavilion in the heart of its downtown medical campus. The campus is home to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

“This world-class medical building was designed to create an exceptional experience for both patients and physicians,” said Richard J. Gannotta, DHA, FACHE, president of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, in a statement. “The welcoming environment will be supported by the latest technology and access to the highest quality medical services throughout the Northwestern campus.”

The 25-story building will house an outpatient surgery center and the Center for Comprehensive Orthopaedic and Spine Care (CCOSC). Diagnostics and digital imaging is expanding services to the 17th floor. An expanded diagnostic and imaging center will offer blood draws, EKGs, urine testing and an array of medical imaging, diagnostics and therapeutics including MRI, CT scan, ultrasound and plain film.

Additionally, the outpatient center offers an ambulatory surgery center with operating rooms, readmission testing and a diagnostic testing center, electrocardiography services and phlebotomy services.

The pavilion is part of Phase II of Northwestern Medicine’s Shop & Dine Northwestern, a 70,000-square-foot retail and restaurant development, which is incorporated within Northwestern Medicine’s campus that is one block east of Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile shopping district. The first phase was completed last November.

When leasing options were first proposed in 2011, Northwestern faced obstacles from doctor groups, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. Doctors groups were concerned with paying more to lease a space as well as losing patients.

The facility has already leased retail space to a number of clients, including Stan’s Donuts, LYFE Kitchen and Cosi. Retailers can lease space throughout the first two floors, and the facility offers a parking garage with seven floors of patient and visitor parking.

Northwestern’s new building is also being built with sustainable design elements. The building will feature high-efficiency fixtures and systems, a green roof and sustainable building materials to conserve energy. The design hopes to attract additional retailers that are interested in reducing operating costs.

Roughly 25,000 people work at Northwestern’s medical campus, and 13 million tourists, patients, workers, guests and residents walk across the campus during the year.