Facts about the new AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion

In April 2027, the University of Chicago Medicine will open the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion, Illinois’ first freestanding facility dedicated to cancer care and research. Building a world-class cancer pavilion on the health system's campus on the city's South Side will increase access to advanced care in a part of Chicago that has seen shrinking healthcare resources for many years.

By the Numbers

Building size: 575,000 square feet; seven floors, including a mechanical penthouse and a lower-level support floor

Location: East 57th Street, between South Maryland and South Drexel Avenues, on UChicago Medicine's main campus

Anticipated volume: 200,000 outpatient visits and 5,000 inpatient admissions per year

Private beds for cancer patients: 80 (64 medical-surgical, 16 ICU), with family space to accommodate overnight stays

Consultation and patient exam rooms: 90

Infusion rooms: 67, all private bays grouped by cancer type

Expected increase in cancer incidence on the South Side: 19% by 2035, more than twice the projected 9% in the rest of the Chicago area

Estimated construction cost: $815 million

Shell space for future expansion: 160,000 square feet

Construction jobs created: More than 500

Key Features

• UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center, for cancer prevention, screening and support services (complementing another site at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey)
• Carole Bransky Breast Center, which includes screening and diagnostic imaging and biopsy rooms
• Patient rooms equipped with modern technology, such as bedside tablets that control lighting, temperature, blinds, entertainment, nurse calls and food orders
• AI-enabled monitoring to support real-time virtual nursing and enhance safety
• Automated delivery robots that transport medications
• Large in-room screens for video communication, educational content and personalized information
• A ground-floor "town square" area for the community and campus, with a conference hall, cafe and teaching kitchen, gift shops, a wellness center with holistic oncology services, a nondenominational chapel, and more
• Dedicated clinical trial spaces for streamlined access to the latest research
• A rapid assessment/urgent care clinic to protect immunocompromised oncology patients
• Infusion therapy rooms grouped by cancer type to replace an outdated open design
• New cancer imaging equipment: two MRIs, two CT scanners, two ultrasound units, two procedure rooms with mobile C-arm/fluoroscopy and an X-ray
• Outdoor space for patients and visitors, including a ground-level pocket park, three outdoor terraces and a garden
• Environmentally friendly, energy-efficient and sustainable design, such as intelligent lighting and electrical systems that use ambient light and turn off when spaces are not in use
• CannonDesign as project architect