December 3, 2015

Swedish wants to start next year on two 17-story towers on First Hill

Courtesy Perkins + Will [enlarge]

Swedish Medical Center wants to begin construction next year on a pair of 17-story buildings on its First Hill campus that would replace some of the hospital's aging facilities.

The buildings would add approximately 877,400 square feet to the campus, bringing it to nearly 3.2 million square feet, according to Mary Beth Lowell, a spokeswoman for Swedish.

Perkins + Will is designing the two towers and Sellen Construction is the general contractor.

The new Northwest Tower would be at the corner of Marion Street and Minor Avenue. It will be Swedish's most complex project in decades, according to a Swedish website about the new towers. The building will be loaded with the latest technology for operating rooms, more private rooms for patients and rooms that can be configured for multiple uses. The Northwest Tower will also have a larger, more efficient emergency department and a new dining area.

The Northwest Tower would replace the current North Tower.

The other tower is called Block 95, and it will house many of the hospital's support and logistical functions. It will be on the block bounded by Columbia and Cherry streets, Minor and Boren avenues. Multiple small buildings and a garage are on the site now.

Swedish recently applied for master use permits for both towers. Swedish wants to begin construction next year and open the new buildings in 2019, according to the website.

The two towers are part of Swedish's approved 2005 First Hill Master Plan. The buildings will replace structures dating back to 1925 and better equip Swedish to deal with the needs of a rapidly aging population, according to the website.