To accommodate its emergency department patient volume, the largest in Central Texas, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center will undergo a $58 million expansion starting in mid-2017, St. David’s HealthCare announced in March.

“With programmatic growth in areas including oncology and trauma at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center as well as the organic growth in the southern portion of the market, the hospital was in need of an expansion,” Todd Steward, the hospital’s chief executive officer, said in a written statement.

The 18- to 24-month construction project will increase the size of the emergency department by nearly 14,000 square feet and 16 beds. Two new floors in the South Tower will include a 34-bed medical-surgical unit and 26,000 square feet for future development. An expansion of the parking garage is also planned.

“As the region grows, it is important to have more physical space to serve our rapidly expanding patient population,” Steward said.

The project is in its construction design phase, which includes the development of construction documents, architectural plans and site plan submission to the city of Austin.

One hundred new full-time employees will be hired to support the increased services over the next five years. Completion of the project is expected in early-to-mid 2019.