Renderings vs. Reality: Advocate Health wraps up new garage in Lakeview

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center has completed work on its new rainbow-hued parking garage at 3021 N. Sheffield Avenue, located next to the CTA Brown and Purple Line station at Wellington Avenue, in Lakeview.

Approved by the city in late 2019, the six-story structure is officially dubbed the Physical Therapy and Sports Health Center and Parking Garage. The building contains first-floor clinic space topped by approximately 400 transit-adjacent parking spaces. Initial occupancy for the center is scheduled for the end of August, according to the hospital. The property was previously home to a Thai restaurant and a surface parking lot.

Designed by SmithGroup, the mixed-use project is clad primarily in light brickwork. The eastern facade features vertical metal fins while the north and south elevations are wrapped in perforated screens—the latter boasting a colorful rainbow detail. The development also includes new planters, sidewalks, and bike racks on Wellington, Sheffield, and Nelson streets. Turner Construction Company served as general contractor on the estimated $22 project. 

The next phase of Advocate's plans calls for an addition to the hospital's Center for Advanced Care (CAC) at nearby 900 W. Nelson Street. The tower expansion would consist of "232 universal-size private rooms and a replacement birthing center," according to information shared on the website of Ald. Tom Tunney. A recent slideshow presentation included conceptual images of Advocate's phase three plans.