Ontario Construction News staff writer
PCL Partnerships has been awarded an $861.4-million fixed-price contract to design, build and finance the redevelopment of Lakeridge Health’s Bowmanville Hospital in Durham Region.
Infrastructure Ontario and Lakeridge Health announced the contract award Nov. 3. The project will more than double the size of the existing hospital, increasing health-care capacity in the region.
The team includes:
- PCL Investments Inc. as project development lead
- PCL Constructors Canada Inc. as design builder
- Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated and Cumulus Architects Inc. as the design team
PCL Partnerships is expected to begin mobilizing on site later this fall, with construction scheduled to begin early in 2027. Completion is targeted for 2030.
The expanded hospital will feature a modern, patient-centred design with private and bariatric patient rooms, as well as a rooftop helipad to provide rapid access to emergency services.
Plans also include Level 3 critical care capacity, the highest level of care provided in hospitals for critically ill or injured patients, an ambulatory care centre and a haemodialysis centre.
The redevelopment is being delivered through a Design-Build-Finance (DBF) model. Under this approach, the private-sector partner assumes significant project risks over the life of the project agreement, while the model is intended to provide greater cost and schedule certainty and opportunities for design and construction efficiencies and innovation.
Infrastructure Ontario said DBF procurement has typically delivered value-for-money savings of between 10 and 15 per cent, based on experience with previous projects, compared with traditional delivery models.
The project is also expected to create opportunities for Ontario businesses and workers, including skilled unionized trades. Buy Ontario provisions have been included in the contract.
The procurement process began with a Request for Qualifications issued in August 2024. The PCL Partnerships team was among those shortlisted to participate in the subsequent Request for Proposals stage and met the project’s requirements.
