MGH pushes ahead with nearly $2 billion expansion

Massachusetts General Hospital is pushing forward with a massive $1.9 billion project to build two new towers as part of its effort to focus on treating the sickest patients at its downtown campus, remaking a critical corner of Boston and potentially boosting public transit.

The two connected midrise towers along Cambridge Street would house 482 beds and new facilities to treat cardiac and cancer patients. After closing and renovating old clinical areas, MGH would gain 94 additional beds, on top of the 1,043 it is now licensed to operate.

Hospital officials, who first unveiled their building plans in 2019, said they need more space to meet the demand from patients, including those who show up at the emergency department and often have to wait for beds to become available.