The City Council today approved Rush University Medical Center's nearly $1 billion planned expansion project.

"The City supports Rush's plan to transform its entire campus as it will support the continuous development of the Illinois Medical District (IMD)," Mayor Daley said. "The IMD is a center of employment, research and medical care for the entire Chicago area. It is important to support ambitious, large-scale projects like this."

Rush's expansion project will include the creation of a new center for advanced emergency response, a critical development for Chicago protection and preparation for widespread emergencies such as pandemics or bioterrorism.

Assistance from the Central West Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District is needed to bridge the funding gaps for the project. At a proposed $75 million, the TIF assistance represents less than 8.5 percent of the total project costs of nearly $1 billion.

Rush’s expansion will create another 1,500 jobs after completion and 175 temporary construction jobs. Currently, there are more than 500 Rush employees that live in the surrounding 2nd and 27th wards.

The Central West TIF was adopted in 2000 and is one of the most productive districts in the city. The district boundaries were recently amended to include the Rush Hospital property south of the Eisenhower Expressway between Ashland and Damen, as well as the old Cook County Hospital building.

The TIF has supported a number of redevelopment projects in the area, including: the transformation of Chicago Housing Authority buildings and properties along Lake Street into a mixed-income community; the rehabilitation of the Women's Treatment Center at Lake and Ashland; improvements to Union Park and Skinner School; and the creation of a new park at Adams and Sangamon.