Residents Voice Concerns About New Medical Center Building

Oak Lawn residents voiced concerns about dust, heavy equipment and increased traffic at a community meeting to discuss the new addition to Advocate Christ Medical Center campus.

Medical center officials met with residents last Wednesday to discuss a proposed e that will be built on opposite corners of 95^th Street and Kilbourn Avenue.

Residents asked about bulldozers and other equipment using the side streets during construction, and increased traffic flow once the facility opens its doors.

Advocate Christ Medical Center President Kenneth Lukhard said these questions had been brought up at past public meetings. He highlighted the importance of communication with locals. Regular public meetings will be scheduled during the entire construction process and a hotline is already up and running for any questions or suggestions that may arise from residents.

“Life is about relationships,” Lukhard told Patch after the meeting. “Good relations are critical to our success, and we strive to foster that culture with the community.”

In direct response to a resident’s suggestion, extra security officers and cars began patrolling the medical complex in late April, assisting incoming and outgoing patients. Future plans include installing a traffic signal at 95^th Street and Kilbourn Avenue, in the hopes that it will help alleviate congestion during peak hours.

Advocate Christ expects to bring about 500 construction jobs to the Oak Lawn area and hundreds more permanent jobs once the ambulatory center opens. Pending approval from the hospital’s finance committee, Lukhard and his team hope to break ground in October and will take two years to complete. The medical center also needs to gain approvals from the Oak Lawn Village Board.