Despite Outcry From Residents, Arlington Heights Trustees Approve Hospital Expansion

The Arlington Heights village board, despite outcry from residents, approved plans for a two-story, 32,000-square-foot expansion of a medical building along Rand Road, Monday night.

The expansion will double the size of the existing building at 1051 W. Rand Road, bringing the building closer to a residential area and adding a second story to the building.

Currently at 94 percent capacity, 60 percent of the tenants in the building are doctors affiliated with Northwest Community Hospital, leasing medical offices. The building also houses Woman Care and Sanders Pediatrics. 

Northwest Community Hospital used to be a major tenant at that building but then moved out to get more space and better parking accommodations. Now, with plans to expand the facility, property owner John Brust said he is in negotiations to bring NWCH back into the Arlington Heights building.

Doubling the size of the building, the project also includes adding parking spaces, bringing the property’s total number of spots to more than 300 at 1051 W. Rand Road.

According to Brust, the expanded medical facility will be available to people who need immediate care but don’t want to go to the emergency room. The building will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, with fewer hours on weekends, Brust said. There are no plans to turn the building into a 24-hour care facility.

“I don’t disagree with the use,” said Arlington Heights resident, William Bailey, “I just question the need.” Bailey, who lives near the medical building, pointed out Northwest Community Hospital has recently made a lot of layoffs. Bailey said, “The health care market in our area is saturated, which you can see with the medical buildings up and down Rand Road that are vacant.”

Bailey said the building project is going to drastically change his neighborhood. Expanding up and out, Bailey said the when completed, the building will practically be in his backyard, “I will now be looking at a wall,” said Bailey.

Over the last several months, a number of residents have expressed concerns about proximity, security, noise, parking, property values and neighborhood aesthetics.

With no leases signed in the new building, the village board added a provision that prevents construction from beginning until tenants have officially signed on and gotten building permits approved by the village.  

According to the building owner, construction is expected to take 18 months to complete. Brust estimates renovations to the parking lot will cost between $1.5 and $1.7 million and the shell of the addition will be another $1.5 million.