Children's Hospital to add new beds, expand ER with 10-story addition

With in-patient stays on the rise and community hospitals beginning to close pediatric units, Children's Hospital said today it hopes to break ground this spring on an addition on Binney Street to add new beds.

The proposal, approved by the Boston Redevelopment Authority this afternoon, would essentially add 130,000 square feet of space to existing Children's floors - with 30 new inpatient beds and a number of other patient rooms, as well an expanded emergency room and radiation department.

The plan replaces an earlier plan to build an extension above the existing main Children's building, which the hospital abandoned because it couldn't afford the loss of revenue that would have come from shutting beds under the project during construction, Charles Weinstein, a hospital vice president, told the BRA board at a hearing this afternoon.

Weinstein said the hospital continues to see increased business. ER visits were up 11% this year - which he said might be partly due to H1N1-related visits - and inpatient stays were up 9%. "We are intending to continue to expand our pediatric beds."

Weinstein said that with a start this spring, the new space could be ready by 2013.

A number of local politicians and business and union leaders voiced approval. Nobody spoke against the proposal.