Taylorville Memorial Hospital's plans to construct a two-story building that will replace most of the current hospital received a green light from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.

The state board gave its unanimous approval (6-0) to the nonprofit hospital's certificate of need application during its meeting in Bolingbrook on April 17.

The approximately 97,000-square-foot building will be built on the current hospital campus at 201 E. Pleasant St. and could be completed as soon as early 2021. A groundbreaking ceremony and construction are expected to begin in the summer.

The construction will include 25 private patient rooms. Three of the rooms will be larger to provide additional family space and will be fitted with overhead ceiling-mounted power lift equipment to help move patients from their beds to the bathrooms. They'll have larger bathrooms and showers to assist patients who might need help to shower.

The inpatient unit will have a family lounge area, a multipurpose activity room and a kitchen and dining area for patients and families as well as a chapel and meditation space.

The new facility will also have space for outpatient services, laboratory, educational conference rooms and administrative offices. The main hospital kitchen will be in the new facility, with space for a cafeteria and dining area.

A rehabilitation services area will offer physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy.

A specialty clinic will include space for out-of-town physician specialists to see patients.

The construction will be completed in two phases. The first phase is expected to be ready in early 2020 and will see the opening of the patient rooms, outpatient services, therapy services, laboratory, pharmacy, specialty clinic and central utility plant.

The second phase is targeted for an early 2021 opening and will include food and nutrition services, administrative offices and conference rooms. The five-story building, originally built more than six decades ago in 1954, will be torn down during the second phase.

O'Shea Builders in Springfield is the general contractor. Architects from BSA Life Structures in St. Louis are the designers.