Construction is expected to begin next fall on a new three-story, 40,000-square-foot building at Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.

The $6 million project will be funded by the KU Endowment Association, according to a release.

The new building will be at the southeast corner of Rainbow and Olathe boulevards, and will replace a 1950s hotel. The new building is expecting to qualify for LEED silver certification because of its environmentally friendly features such as a reflective roof to deflect heat, a ground-source heat pump system and strategic use of windows on the east and west sides to minimize radiant heat.

Demolition of the existing building is scheduled to begin this month, and construction will be completed in 2011.

The first and second floors will provide space for the KU Medical Center, and the third floor will house KU Endowment offices.