Ontario Construction News staff writer
A new hospital for Orillia is on the horizon following a report detailing the benefits it will bring to the city, region, and residents.
A consultant’s report outlining the “the significant economic benefit” was presented to city council Monday night, and as a result, the City and Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital remain committed to the construction of a new hospital.
Costs of building a new hospital are projected to be in the hundreds of millions of dollar, but with substantial multi-year economic spinoff benefits boosting employment and community growth, the City and Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital have a shared interest in planning toward the construction of a new hospital in Orillia over the next decade, followed by redevelopment of the existing hospital site, officials say.
“The economic benefit of having a modernized hospital in our city is indisputable,” said Mayor Steve Clarke.
“We know that a new hospital in Orillia is important to the OSMH Board of Directors in order to align the hospital with the Province’s new model for delivering health care and meet growing patient care needs. It will also impact future development patterns, travel behaviours and spinoff benefits to Orillia. This report provides the City and the Hospital with valuable information as we continue to move forward together on this very important project.”
One element of the consultant’s report identifies the potential economic spinoff benefits of remediating and developing brownfield sites, similar to the where the City is constructing its new recreation centre at 255 West Street S. The centre, built at a cost of $55 million, is the largest project in Orillia’s history.
“When it comes time to consider potential sites, the more options we have on the table, the better,” said Carmine Stumpo, OSMH President and CEO. “I want to commend the City for commissioning this report. It provides insight that we can draw upon throughout our planning process.”
In a joint statement, the City and Soldiers’ Memorial said they both recognize the multiplier effect that a project of this magnitude creates through multiple years of planning and construction of a new hospital, followed by redevelopment of the existing site.
“This project has the potential to be the single most impactful infrastructure development for the future health and well-being of our community that the City of Orillia has ever experienced,” said Stumpo. “We look forward to working closely with the City, the Province, our Couchiching Ontario Health Team and other community partners to turn our vision into reality.”
In 2018, the Hospital’s Board of Directors endorsed a plan to work toward building a new hospital on a different site, while repurposing the Community Tower and remainder of the existing site to address community needs. A Stage One capital planning submission was made to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) and the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (NSM-LHIN) in 2019.