In 2007, Methodist Medical Center of Illinois (MMCI) unveiled a multiyear, two-phase project that was created in response to the growing health care needs of the community. During the Request for Proposal process for the development of the MOB, Lend Lease emerged as a long-term partner who could share and implement MMCI’s vision and plans.

The Methodist North at Allen Road project is part of the hospital’s vision to provide quality and convenient healthcare close to where people live and work. The Allen Road corridor has had a lot of new residential development and is an area of primarily young families. With this in mind, the hospital determined that, although the new building would be a “one stop shop” for healthcare, the primary focus would be on pediatrics. The hospital turned to Lend Lease for our creativity, experience and recommendations. To research ideas, Lend Lease and the design team took a field trip to the children’s museum and developed a theme, sketch and presentation for the pediatric physicians and hospital executives. The theme was “aquatics” with curved walls (leading from the entry door to check-in), bright sea colors and a central fish tank dividing the sick and well waiting areas. The hospital asked that the need for toys in the waiting area be minimized, so as part of the sketch, Lend Lease shared an innovative technology in which a projector (installed in the ceiling) projects different scenes on the floor that are interactive through infrared installed in the baseboards. For example, the projector may display a pond on the floor with gold fish swimming around. When a child steps on the pond, the water ripples and the fish swim away from their feet. This technology, together with the suite design, provides the perfect waiting room environment for pediatric patients and their families.

Lend Lease was selected to finance, develop and own the centerpiece of phase one of the project. The three-story, 79,000 square foot outpatient diagnostic imaging center and medical office building is located on a new campus within miles of MMCI’s hospital. In addition to diagnostic imaging, services within the medical office building include physical rehabilitation, a pharmacy, a large family practice and a large pediatric practice.

Lend Lease was responsible for all aspects of the development including design and construction management, financing, leasing and now provides property management services.