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Lakeland Regional Medical will close on $180 million in tax-exempt bonds Feb. 5 to pay for new construction.

The hospital is embarking on a two year building project.

Lakeland Regional Medical Center is planning $297 million worth of construction over the next two years.

The hospital, located off I-4 between Tampa and Orlando, will add a new eight-story women and children’s pavilion, expand its emergency department and build an inpatient rehab center.

Lakeland Regional Medical Center also exploring becoming a teaching hospital for up to 250 new doctors per year.

The city of Lakeland’s population has jumped 25 percent from 2000, with just shy of 100,000 residents.

Lakeland Regional is the third largest private employer in Lakeland, behind Walmart and Publix.

Check here to download the documents with more detailed plans (PDF).

WMFE is a partner with Health News Florida, a statewide collaborative reporting on health care.

Health reporting on WMFE is supported in part by AdventHealth.