HealthPartners said Thursday that it will open a $36 million, eight-story mental health building at Regions Hospital in St. Paul on Monday.

The facility, which replaces the existing inpatient facility on the St. Paul campus, features 100 private rooms and is designed specifically to care for patients with mental illnesses. There is an option to add 20 more rooms.

The facility is the largest private investment in mental health in state history, and "comes at a critical time when demand for services continues to grow," HealthPartners said in a statement. The project is finally opening after HealthPartners shelved earlier plans for a facility in 2009 because of the recession and budget setbacks. "Regions Hospital is a place of hope and healing, and we continue to make investments that reflect the needs of the community," said Brock Nelson, the hospital's CEO. "This project is more than a building. It's about providing our patients and their families care in an environment that is equal to the level of care we provide for other illnesses."

The general contractor for the building was Kraus-Anderson; the architect was BWBR.

Janet Moore • 612-673-7752