Funding for a new teaching hospital in Prince George’s County has been approved by the Maryland General Assembly, and the legislation will now head to the desk of Gov. Larry Hogan for approval.

Prince George's County executive Rushern Baker, along with other county officials, has spent the past five years working towards the construction of a new hospital and medical campus in the Largo Town Center. The funding guarantee is a huge step towards making that project a reality, and Baker is strongly encouraging the governor to put pen to paper when the legislation hits his desk, the Washington Business Journal reports.

Plans for the Prince George’s County Regional Medical Center call for a $655M, 231-bed hospital and medical campus that would ultimately replace the current facility in Cheverly. Dimensions Healthcare System and the University of Maryland Medical System are on board to build and operate the facility. A decision on the project is expected by this summer, and if all goes well, the new facility in Largo could open as soon as 2020.

Baker has long viewed the hospital as a chance to reinvigorate the Largo Town Center Metro stop, as well as a potential spark for the redevelopment of the town center itself. Who knows: maybe Hogan will sign the bill before Bisnow's Mid-Atlantic Healthcare Real Estate Forum in May. [WBJ]