By J. Darrel Hicks

The COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to many new construction and expansion projects for healthcare facilities, but rising vaccination rates and falling rates of hospitalizations and death have enabled organizations to return their attention to some of these projects.

Norwalk Hospital recently announced the facility is pursuing the largest major expansion project in the hospital's history, according to Patch. The expansion will include the construction of a seven-story pavilion, which will replace the Community Pavilion built in 1953 and the Tracey Pavilion built in 1918.

The 180,000-square foot building is expected to open in winter 2025 or 2026. Natural light-filled building connectors will also provide easy access between the new pavilion, the Main Pavilion and the McGraw Pavilion.

This new state-of-the-art patient pavilion will also provide single-bed patient rooms. There will also be substantial renovations and updates to existing spaces as part of the construction, including a new labor and delivery unit and a new intensive care unit and step-down unit.