Providence Heart Institute is planning a $42 million renovation project at its 30-year-old facility on the Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center campus, on the lower South Hill.

Jen York, senior communications specialist with Providence Inland Northwest Washington, says the project, which will increase patient capacity by 15%, will be completed in two phases, with the first phase expected to begin next spring.

One emphasis of the first phase will be a new pediatric catheterization lab for imaging, which York says will enhance the institute’s mission as a place where cardiac patients can receive care beginning in utero and continuing through adulthood.

“Everything will be right here in one complex,” she says.

Other priorities in the first phase will include exterior renovations, such as a covered walkway to provide more inclusive access in all types of weather, a prayer room provided by the Kalispel Tribe, and an open welcome area to ease navigation, she says.

The second phase will involve consolidating clinic suites on the upper floors of the four-story institute.

“It will make … the continuum of care much easier on the patient,” York says.

Each phase will take 18 to 24 months to complete, she says.

Providence is providing $32 million in funding, with the remainder coming via philanthropic fundraising efforts through the Providence Inland Northwest Foundation.

York says the foundation has secured $7.5 million already and is raising the final $2.5 million from the community through its Follow Your Heart campaign.

Spokane architecture firm Bernardo Wills has developed conceptual designs for the project. York says a general contractor will be selected in coming months.

No permit applications for the project have been submitted to the city yet, she adds.