Province advances planning for future of St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital

The provincial government is moving ahead with planning for the future of St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, issuing a request for proposals for a multidisciplinary consulting team to assess the hospital and examine options for expansion.

The assessment will look at the current condition of the hospital buildings and determine what upgrades may be required to extend the facility’s useful life.

The work will include a detailed facility condition assessment, accessibility review, environmental and hazardous materials investigations, and a feasibility study examining potential expansion of the site.

The province says the study will identify required improvements, estimate future capital investment needs and examine options for adding acute care capacity.

The information gathered through the assessment is expected to support future decisions about the role of St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital and its ability to meet the region’s health-care needs.

The government announced in January that planning would begin on the redevelopment of St. Clare’s, with a focus on affordability and extending the life of existing infrastructure.

The latest procurement represents the next phase of that planning process. No specific redevelopment or expansion project has been announced as a result of the assessment.

The request for proposals is being issued through the province’s competitive procurement process.