Houston Methodist announced plans May 29 to open a new $328 million hospital campus in The Woodlands in 2017.

The ground breaking will occur in early 2015 on the 470,000-square-foot campus to be located at the intersection of Hwy. 242 and I-45. Construction includes a 135,000-square-foot medical office building that will open in late 2015, allowing for the advance transition of physicians into the area, said Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist.

"We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we are building a hospital in The Woodlands market," Boom said. "The Woodlands is just a wonderful part of Houston; this will enable us to bring our services to the community."

The hospital is the eighth in the Houston Methodist system and will offer 290 beds. The new facility will be a full-service, acute care hospital that will be capable of delivering similar services as the Texas Medical Center hospital, Boom said.

The project is a part of a $1 billion investment in the Houston area by the Houston Methodist system. Other projects include a new $540 million patient tower next to its Texas Medical Center location, construction of a handful of community emergency departments around the Houston metro area, and recent acquisitions of Houston Methodist St. Johns Hospital in Clear Lake and Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital in west Houston from Christus Health, Boom said.

"The Woodlands expansion is a substantial project, so it represents a solid third of the advancement we are making around the community," Boom said

Paul Layne, executive vice president of master planned communities for The Howard Hughes Corporation, said the hospital will be a key resource for The Woodlands.

"We are pleased to have an exceptional health care system like Houston Methodist come to The Woodlands. Houston Methodist offers a valuable amenity through its services to The Woodlands community," Layne said.

The announcement by Houston Methodist comes as The Woodlands area sees its health care options and facilities increase. In September, Texas Children's Hospital announced it was developing a new 548,000-square-foot hospital that is scheduled to open in spring 2017 at 17600 I-45 S., near the planned Houston Methodist facility.

In addition, both Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital and St. Luke's The Woodlands are undergoing expansions to account for the growing local population.

The St. Luke's expansion includes the addition of 58 new patient beds as well as improved cardiology and cardiovascular treatment. Memorial Hermann The Woodlands has opened its TIRR inpatient unit and outpatient clinic.