Photo Story: Building The Kaiser Permanente Hospital

Over the last two years, Kaiser Permanente's San Leandro Medical Center has slowly risen from the earth west of Interstate 880.

Kaiser recently gave Patch a behind-the-scenes look at this work in progress.

Everything about the new medical center is superlative.

It will cost more than $600 million to build. Kaiser estimates that it will create about 3,000 jobs during the construction phase.

When the facility opens in 2014, the six-story hospital will have 264 private beds, 10 operating rooms and a 24-hour emergency center. It will be staffed by 2,500 physicians, nurses, technicians and support workers.

Kaiser says the San Leandro center will be within 10 miles of virtually all of its members in southern Alameda County.

The project is even more impressive to behold.

Scroll through this photo gallery to see and learn more.

(Sign up to get San Leandro Patch delivered by email.)