Provident Hospital in Chicago, part of Cook County Health, delayed its plan to build a $240 million replacement facility for the second time, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Construction on the eight-story replacement facility first was delayed in February 2020 when the Cook County Health board opted to pause the project until the health system named a new CEO, which happened in October 2020.
Cook County Health leaders said the second delay on the project is due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The project needs a little bit more time,” Israel Rocha Jr. said during a news conference, according to the Tribune. "We will try to minimize any delays possible and try to see where we can move forward, but as COVID has been with us for over a year now, we want to make sure that we are being responsive to the timeline."
The new hospital will be 22 percent smaller than the existing building but will offer expanded outpatient and emergency room services, the Tribune reported. It will be located just west of the existing hospital in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood.
Mr. Rocha said the construction delays could last between 12 and 16 months. Previously, the target opening of the new hospital was April 2023, according to the report.