Smaller Elmhurst Medical Building Planned

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst Hospital is planning a smaller medical office building than it originally planned.

In October 2023, the City Council approved a three-story, 65,000-square-foot structure on vacant land southwest of York and Lexington streets, between the hospital and Ebel's Ace Hardware.

Now, the hospital is planning a two-story building, saying it better aligns with current needs and public feedback.

"The original three-story concept was a preliminary estimate," Spencer Walrath, a spokesman for Endeavor Health, the hospital's parent organization, said in an email to Patch last week. "We’re returning to the (City Council) because the initial approval was based on the original plan. We’re committed to working with the council to bring this project to life for the benefit of the community."

On Monday, the hospital is scheduled to present the concept of its new plan to the council's zoning committee.

When the hospital presented the three-story building design in 2023, neighbors expressed concerns about how the building would impact them. Houses on Kendall Avenue would be behind the structure.

Officials said the developer made concessions to neighbors.

The developer is Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies, which also built the seven-story apartment complex at Haven Road and First Street, among other area buildings.

In fall 2023, Ryan Companies asked the City Council to condense its two-meeting approval process into one.

The company planned to get started on the parking lot right away, the council was told. It wanted to avoid leaving the parking lot half done if the asphalt plants closed when the weather changed.

At the time, Alderman Michael Bram said he favored the project, but opposed suspending the usual process, even though he said the rationale was a good one.

He said the suspension of rules should be rare, not used in a case where a project may be falling behind.

Last month, Endeavor Health submitted a proposal to the state for $101 million in improvements to Elmhurst Hospital. The upgrades are expected to be done by fall 2028.