Portland officials have approved a 2,450-space employee parking garage for Maine Medical Center.

The Portland Press Herald reports the parking garage approval is part of the hospital’s half a billion dollar expansion plan.

The plan involves the hospital expanding its main campus by 25 percent, adding 19 new operating rooms and 128 single-inpatient rooms. The expansion is expected to be complete by 2022. Construction on the new parking garage will start this fall. Once construction is complete, the old parking garage will be demolished and replaced with hospital rooms and a modern cardiac unit.

The hospital says it will file its plans for the new medical building next month.