Kansas University Hospital on Monday ceremoniously broke ground on a new building that will add almost 100 beds to the hospital’s capacity, helping meet demand in fast-growing areas.

The $280 million Cambridge North Patient Tower is going up at 39th and Cambridge streets in Kansas City, Kan., just northeast of the existing hospital buildings.

The seven-story, 92-bed, 12-operating room facility will house two of the hospital’s fastest-growing specialty areas: neurosciences and surgical oncology, including ear, nose and throat cancers, according to KU Hospital. Of the 92 beds, 28 will be intensive care. The building also will feature imaging, a lab and pharmacy.

KU Hospital reports patient volume growth of 30 percent in the last five years. Neurosciences and surgical oncology have grown almost 40 percent over that period, according to the hospital.

Overall, 47,590 patients were discharged during fiscal year 2014, hospital spokesman Dennis McCulloch said. This year is even busier, with discharges on track to reach 52,100.

Last month, the hospital averaged 789 patients in a bed each day, McCulloch said. That’s up from an average of 740 in February 2014 and 690 in February 2013. The hospital’s “official” number of staffed beds is 689, plus 24 bassinets.

“We have had a full hospital with record patient demand for the last three months,” Bob Page, hospital president and CEO said in a prepared statement. “It has meant we are using all our creativity to provide patients with the high quality services they are seeking. It also means we need the beds and operating rooms Cambridge North will provide to meet patient demand.”

The Cambridge North Patient Tower is scheduled to be complete and open to patients in 2017.

A goal of the project is to raise $100 million through philanthropy. KU Hospital said it has raised $36.6 million of that so far, including $4 million toward an ongoing $10 million challenge grant from Kansas City area philanthropist Annette Bloch.