The DoveLewis veterinary hospital is doubling its Slabtown footprint as part of an effort to relieve space constraints.

The Northwest Portland animal hospital, which takes emergency walk-ins 24 hours a day, said it plans to construct a new 30,000-square foot building that will add 12 exam rooms, eight emergency treatment rooms and three surgical suites. The hospital said it will expand its specialty departments in the new space, making more room for emergency and critical care services in its existing building.

“With more space, we’ll be able to help more animals and people get the care they need all in one place,” Ron Morgan, chief executive officer and president of DoveLewis, said in a statement.

DoveLewis said the project would create “ample room to grow” for a medical center that “mirrors human healthcare models of immediate care, intensive care, advanced diagnostics, and specialty care teams working together.”

The hospital also plans to add a community room with capacity for 100 and training spaces that will be used to teach both veterinary professionals and pet owners.

The new facility is expected to open in phases, with the first coming in in November, DoveLewis said. The hospital hired Mackenzie to design the new building and Skansa to construct it.

Molly Laird, spokesperson for DoveLewis, said the expansion project is estimated to cost up to $50 million but said it was supported by a donation. She said the hospital is also raising an additional $7 million for interior improvements and equipment.

-- Kristine de Leon covers the retail industry, small business and data enterprise stories. Reach her at kdeleon@oregonian.com.

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