Duke Medical Center has begun initial construction of a new Cancer Center and expansion of the medical center's surgery and critical care facilities, to meet what it calls an "urgent need" for additional space for critically ill patients.

The $700 million project will add about 850,000 square feet to the Duke Medicine campus. The Cancer Center building will consolidate outpatient cancer services and clinical research, and will house 140 examination rooms, 75 infusion stations, a pharmacy and private reflection spaces for patients. The eight-story Duke Medicine Pavilion will include 16 new operating suites, 96 critical care beds and 64 intermediate care beds.

In a news release, Duke CEO Victor Dzau said the project will increase Duke's ability to meet the growing demand from patients throughout North Carolina and the nation.

"The primary factor in our decision to move forward with these projects is our sense of responsibility and conviction to ensure that we meet the current and projected demands for the high quality healthcare services that patients have come to expect from Duke," said Dzau. "This project is all about our patients, faculty and staff, and our missions of clinical care, teaching and pursuing breakthrough research."

Duke's announcement comes just before UNC Healthcare celebrates the opening of its newly expanded Lineberger Cancer Center in September.

"Projections for large increases in cancer cases in North Carolina over the next several years suggest that our plan - complementing that of our colleague University of North Carolina - will just meet the anticipated demand," said Dzau. "I believe the combined clinical and research advancements at Duke and UNC, as well as the enhanced collaboration between the institutions have the potential to turn the Research Triangle into one of the country's epicenters for excellence and advancements in cancer care."