University of California San Diego Medical Center is seeking approval to begin a modernization of its aging medical campus that is slated to cost $2.5 billion, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
UC San Diego is expected to get permission this week on the sprawling upgrade of the 58-acre complex in the Hillcrest neighborhood. A committee will take up the issue Sept. 29, and the board will vote on the project Sept. 30.
The first phase of the project, which could start in October, includes building a $275 million, six-floor outpatient pavilion with new technology and amenities. UC San Diego also plans to create about 1,000 units of housing, where some employees may live, and a parking structure with nearly 1,900 spots.
After the initial phase, and about four years later, UC San Diego would start building a $1 billion to $1.4 billion hospital to replace the 60-year-old UC San Diego Medical Center.
UC San Diego said it is building a new hospital because it became too expensive to renovate the medical center to comply with the state's looming earthquake safety rules.
The project may take about 15 years to complete, the Union-Tribune reported.
The overall growth represents "a huge commitment to the whole region, giving back to the community in a really creative way," Patty Maysent, CEO of UC San Diego Health, told the Union-Tribune.