Ontario Construction News staff writer
Construction is still about three years away, but work started recently to prepare a site for a new hospital in Niagara Falls.
Niagara Health announced last week that a natural heritage assessment has been completed on the property near Montrose and Biggar roads in rural Niagara Falls.
“The assessment allows for the approval of renewable energy development on the site by the Ontario government,” Angela Zangari, interim president of Niagara Health, said in The Niagara Falls Review.
Niagara Health is working with WSP, a professional firm that provides technical expertise and strategic advice in the area of property and buildings, environment, resources and energy.
Several hectares were donated for hospital use by the former landowner several years ago and the city paid $11 million to acquire additional land. Infrastructure Ontario has listed it on the Market Update for Projects in Pre-Procurement.
RFQs are expected to be released in spring 2021 and RFPs in winter 2021 with a financial close in 2022. The expected opening date 2026 or 2027.
“We are very excited to have our project confirmed by Infrastructure Ontario knowing how important it is to meet the healthcare needs of the people of Niagara,” Zangari said in a media release.
With a Stage 2 revised submission expected soon, the project will move through important milestones.
The next step after the approval of Stage 2 Functional Program in the Ministry of Health’s capital planning process involves the development of written specifications and a design of the building.