Jobs, Jobs, Jobs! I heard this all day on from callers to my show on Q98.5. When word got out that the New MercyRockford Hospital project was approved, the calls came flooding in.

Alex, who works in construction from Roscoe called me asking: "have you heard the news? The Hospital project was approved, that means jobs, I'm so excited".

We are all excited about the new hospital project.  MercyRockford Health System plans to construct the $407.2 million hospital near I-90 and East Riverside. The hospital will measure approximately 450,803-square-foot.

The Rockford Register Star reports that it is estimated that 1500 local construction jobs will be generated from just the construction of the project, alone.

President of the Northwestern Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council, Brad Long, told the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board:

Virtually all the workers will come from Rockford locals, with the exception of a few niche specialty workers who may need to come from the Chicago area

The project will take several years to complete. Among the jobs:

  • electricians
  • carpenters
  • painters
  • glaziers,
  • cement masons
  • plasterers
  • operating engineers

Construction on the new facility is scheduled to commence in early 2016 and will last about two and a half years

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