Ontario Construction News staff writer
Construction is about to begin on a new hospital in Halifax.
The Nova Scotia government announced today, May 12, it has reached an agreement with Plenary PCL Health to start advanced work on the Halifax Infirmary site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre. Construction on the new, modern healthcare building will begin within weeks.
“Today is an excellent example of how we are delivering on our plan to do more and go faster as we do whatever it takes to fix healthcare,” said Colton LeBlanc, minister responsible for healthcare redevelopment projects. “We are removing obstacles to get the Infirmary site ready so that we can pour concrete as soon possible.”
The agreement for the new facility covers initial work that needs to be done to prepare the site for the acute care tower, which will have 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, an intensive care unit and a new emergency department.
“The Plenary PCL Health team is thrilled to reach this next step in our partnership with the Province and Nova Scotia Health,” said Brian Budden, President and CEO, Plenary Americas. “We look forward to beginning early work on the Halifax Infirmary site in the coming weeks and collaboratively advancing design development on the project.”
The agreement also include site surveying, blasting preparation and construction office setup. Work on this phase of the project is expected to be completed in early 2024
Crews will begin work to extend the current emergency department, providing flexibility for patient flow during construction. Excavation and the relocation of mechanical and electrical utilities will also be done to prepare the site for the building. Temporary parking options will be created so the Robie Street parkade can be demolished.
The province is contributing $254 million for phase one of the project.
“We are excited and focused on the operational and clinical requirements that support this significant build,” said Dr. Alex Mitchell, vice-president of clinical infrastructure at Nova Scotia Health. “We acknowledge there will be some disruption and are working hard with our partners to reduce the impact to patients, healthcare workers and the communities we serve.
“Other projects coincide with this work including the QEII Community Outpatient Centre in Bayers Lake. New facilities like this will help reduce overall traffic to the Halifax Infirmary site.”