Overlake Celebrates Groundbreaking of Project FutureCare – A $250M Campus Renewal Plan

Bellevue, Wash. – Overlake Medical Center officially broke ground today on a five-year, $250 million campus development project that will enhance the healthcare of Eastside residents for generations to come. The shovel ceremony took place near the cornerstone of Project FutureCare—a five-story, 240,000 square foot inpatient tower that will include a state-of-the-art childbirth center, two leading-edge medical and surgical units, and patient recovery rooms incorporating advanced technology with abundant use of natural light.

“At Overlake, we know that caring for individuals during the most vulnerable time in their life is a great honor and privilege,“ said President and CEO J. Michael Marsh at the groundbreaking event. “Project FutureCare represents Overlake’s commitment to that sacred trust. It’s our commitment to our community and to our staff who have devoted their lives to caring for others,” said Marsh.

Bellevue Mayor John Chelminiak spoke at the ceremony about his own personal journey at Overlake, including his daughter’s birth and his mother-in-law’s end-of-life journey. “That is something that is important about Overlake, is that people are treated with dignity and care at both ends of the spectrum, from the beginning of life right through to the end of life,” said Bellevue Mayor John Cheminiak. 

Announced at the groundbreaking event: “To help inspire and accelerate community giving, the Wissner-Slivka Foundation has stepped forward with a $500,000 challenge grant,” said community leader York Harris, chair of the campaign cabinet for Campaign FutureCare. The local family foundation will provide a dollar-for-dollar match for lead contributions made to Campaign FutureCare. “Great care takes a caring community,” said Harris.

Roughly 20 percent, $50 million, of Project FutureCare’s total cost will be funded by private and community contributions. “Overlake has such a strong tradition of community support dating back to its very founding, Campaign FutureCare is a continuation of those partnerships with dedicated individuals and foundations who want to help ensure superior healthcare close to home,” said Molly Stearns, Overlake chief development officer. As a community-owned and governed not-for-profit hospital, Overlake is investing cash reserves in Project FutureCare equal to roughly 21 percent of the project’s total cost. The remaining 59 percent of Project FutureCare is funded by tax-exempt bonds.

Project FutureCare’s new tower will be incorporated seamlessly into the current South Tower and run eastward, creating a clear delineation between Overlake’s emergency department access off NE 10th Street, and non-critical patient drop-off access off of 116th Avenue NE. The concourse-style entry will enhance campus way-finding. The tower will include Overlake’s childbirth center, which comprises labor and delivery, emergency obstetrics, mother and baby unit and a level III neonatal intensive care unit, all supporting Overlake’s practice of cultivating an optimal environment for mother-baby bonding and family involvement in the birth process. The new tower also includes single occupancy patient rooms with family zones for cardiac, cancer, orthopedics and other medical services.

Project FutureCare includes a heart operating room to accommodate leading-edge procedures and technology, such as surgical robotics, and a hybrid heart and vascular operating room for minimally invasive transaortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures with open heart option. In line with Overlake’s mission of providing "compassionate care for every life we touch," the renovation includes an expansion of inpatient behavioral health services.

The design of Project FutureCare is based on an ”urban-to-trail” architectural design concept, reflecting the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest environment in an advanced, modern medical facility. Enhanced pedestrian access and added park-like space will welcome patients and visitors from Sound Transit’s upcoming Wilburton station just two blocks away. Project FutureCare’s completion date is set for 2022.