A Stillwater hospital is preparing to relocate and is now ready to enter the next phase in the planning process.

HealthPartners’ Lakeview Hospital says they could welcome patients to the new campus as soon as 2027, but there is a lot of work ahead before then.

“There’s a lot of history there,” said Brandi Lunneborg, President of Lakeview Hospital.

It’s one of the oldest hospitals in the state, and today a new chapter awaits for Stillwater’s Lakeview Hospital.

“It’ll be a significant change for us,” Lunneborg said.

Back in 2017, they purchased some land at Highway 36 and Manning Avenue. It’s about three miles away from the current hospital, and that’s where they plan to move next.

“At the time we weren’t quite ready to go forward but we are now,” Lunneborg said.

Lunneborg admits they’re outgrowing their facility today. Plus she says the community in the East Metro is changing. For instance, the population of people over 65 is expected to increase by 20% over the next five years.

“It’s important to meet all those needs and make sure we can provide the services they need,” Lunneborg said.

The cost of the new facility isn’t finalized, but HealthPartners tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS similar projects cost about $400 million. It will have specialized centers for heart, orthopedic and cancer care.

“Those types of services we know patients will need. In the long term we can’t grow in our current location,” Lunneborg said.

The design of the new campus is still a work in progress, but we’re told there will be opportunities for the public to weigh in.

“It’s not about what we need from a care perspective alone, it’s also ‘What do patients and families want and need from their care, how can we partner with them and make them part of the process?'” Lunneborg said.

Both a timeline for construction and information on ways you can help share your thoughts on the project are expected to be shared in the coming months.