After extensive planning, construction crews are almost ready to break ground on the new wing at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
The proposed East Wing will be a 100,000-square foot addition to the existing hospital site, vice president of infrastructure and planning and CIO Scott Potts said Tuesday. Construction is projected to start in the fall with a completion date expected for late 2016 to early 2017.
Potts said that from a construction viewpoint “we’re looking at a $32-to-$37 million range, and the total project including all costs, capital, equipment and soft costs somewhere in the $56 million range.”
Two mental health units will be housed in the wing -- a rehabilitation unit for older adults and an adult mental health rehabilitation unit.
There will be 19 beds in each unit with 38 beds in total. In addition, there will be space for administrative services that are currently located at the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital.
Most of the project is funded through the Ministry of Health.
“There is a local share component that St. Joseph’s Hospital contributes to any capital project, but the majority will be funded through the province,” Potts said. “There’s been different components of the project that we’ve had to add in as far as the planning phase, so that’s part of the reason for the delay.”
Potts added that CEISS, which is under construction, is not tied to the construction of the East Wing.
“We did have to demolish the former Sister Margaret Smith Centre and relocate that and rebuild that over on the Lillie St. site…, but that was the first stage that we had to get complete before we could even look at constructing here,” he said.
A prequalification process for general contractors is expected to finish up next week, Potts says. Six to seven general contractors are expected to bid for the project.
