The much anticipated hospital redevelopment in Wallaceburg is finally moving to the next phase.
Premier Doug Ford was to visit the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) site in Wallaceburg on Wednesday morning to announce the next phase of the redevelopment project, but he couldn't make it because of thick fog in Toronto, according to his Director of Media Relations.
Hospital officials have been anxiously waiting for provincial approval to advance to the next stage of Wallaceburg hospital's estimated $41 million redevelopment.
The project includes a new building with an emergency department, new diagnostic imaging and rehabilitation areas, medical beds, ambulatory care, and a laboratory.
The next stage is called the "sketch plan submission" that will include a more detailed integrated site and site servicing plan, floor plans, systems plans that include mechanical and electrical designs, phasing plans, furniture and equipment lists, all associated specifications and design briefs, building code analysis, cost estimate, local share planning, and proposed scheduling for the project.
CKHA President and CEO Lori Marshall said this part of the project is expected to take between six and nine months to complete, adding shovels should be in the ground by next summer if everything goes well and the hospital fully redeveloped by late 2026 or early 2027.
Marshall calls this another exciting milestone in the renewal of the hospital.
“Each step in this multi-phase plan brings us closer to ensuring the delivery of safe, high quality care in Wallaceburg for years to come,” she said.
Marshall told CK News Today she was never nervous about the certainty of the hospital renewal moving forward, saying she was fully confident it would move to the next stage because she understands how the process unfolds.
"We've always said with the building of the power plant in itself signaled this project was a go. I definitely would say this latest announcement definitely signals that we're headed towards that brand new build of the hospital in Wallaceburg," Marshall said.
Marshall noted the estimated $41 million redevelopment cost is subject to review and could change.
"The estimate was done in 2022 and it included some degree of escalation. So, that continues to be the estimate, but once this phase is completed of the detailed designs, we need to have it recosted just to check the validity of those initial projections," said Marshall.
The CKHA Foundation has launched a $9 million campaign to raise the required funds to cover the community's share of the project's cost, including a portion of the construction cost and necessary equipment for the renovated space.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has already agreed to support the hospital redevelopment with a $4.5 million contribution.
Community engagement has already started with focus groups to determine what the public wants the new hospital to look like.
Marshall previously said the services at the hospital have already been defined and will not be part of the community engagement.
The hospital has already replaced its power plant at a cost of $7.8 million.
The 60-year-old Wallaceburg hospital had to be saved from closing over a decade ago.
