Huntsville Hospital will be undergoing a $150 million expansion in downtown Huntsville beginning next year.

The hospital announced plans Wednesday for the construction of a tower on Gallatin Street that will include 72 beds and 24 operating rooms as well as shelled-in space for future use.

The tower will be built directly across Gallatin Street from the hospital’s main entrance and be connected to the hospital via an elevated walkway.

The project is expected to take about two years to complete, according to the hospital.

In the announcement, hospital CEO David Spillers said the hospital needs the additional space to accommodate growth in the Huntsville area – specifically citing the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA plant expected to create 4,000 jobs.

“We’re blessed to be in a dynamic area where companies want to locate,” Spillers said in the announcement. “For us, the challenge is making sure we are prepared to meet the health care needs of all these new residents in addition to the existing population. The approval of our new West Bed Tower is an important step in that direction.”

The additional patient rooms will also allow the hospital to convert some semi-private rooms into private rooms.

Huntsville Hospital first notified state health planning officials in June 2017 of its intention to build a new free-standing bed tower. The Alabama Certificate of Need Review Board approved the project at its meeting Wednesday in Montgomery.