The Brookhaven Town Board unanimously approved a proposal to invest $650 million to expand NYU Langone Hospital - Suffolk in Patchogue during Thursday’s planning board meeting.

The project includes a 270,000-square-foot addition to the property at 101 Hospital Rd., creating a new seven-story 144-bed pavilion for medical, surgical and intensive care.

"I've been in this hospital quite a bit and they've done exceptionally well taking care of my health situation, so I think it's a good thing to add on to and get more room for them to do what they need to do," Patchogue resident Walter Chan said.

According to the application, the addition would add 52 net-new beds, bringing the hospital's anticipated number of active beds to 255.

Some of the money would go towards renovating the existing hospital building, which opened as Brookhaven Memorial Hospital and was renamed Long Island Community Hospital before NYU Langone Health fully integrated it last spring.

"There are so many more people that live out here now that I do think they need to expand the hospital," East Patchogue resident Carol Rosenthal said. "Quite a large population is getting older, so I think it's a good thing."

Construction is expected to take a little over three years, according to the application.

The proposal has been well endorsed by the community, although some have expressed concerns over traffic.

"It's going to have a lot of traffic, but I think it'll be alright," Patchogue resident Jim Curry said.

The NYU Langone team says they’ve completed a traffic study and have found no significant negative impacts.

During the meeting, dozens of laborers showed up to express their support for the jobs this project will bring to their trades.

“It’s a big project, said Vincent Lau, with the Laborers Local 66. “It’s a project that the building trades, all of the affiliates of the building trades. we would like to see it move forward from a construction perspective. From a resident perspective I would love to see a brand new hospital in the neighborhood because we really need it.”

A spokesperson for NYU Langone said in a statement: “We’re grateful for the Town of Brookhaven’s approval of the planned expansion at NYU Langone Hospital—Suffolk. This is an important step for the community and for the future of healthcare in Suffolk County. We appreciate the Town's partnership, as well as the support and engagement of local elected officials, neighbors, and community members, and we look forward to continuing to work together as this project progresses.”

"The project is part of a tremendous $650 million investment in the hospital, representing a major commitment to expanding and improving healthcare services for our community," Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico told News 12.

Brookhaven Town Councilman Neil Foley, whose district includes the hospital, said he's in favor of the project.

"This is going to benefit every single person in the area, in the Town of Brookhaven and in Suffolk County," he said.