Preferred proponent selected for Women's College Hospital's redevelopment
project

TORONTO, June 1 /CNW/ - Women's College Hospital and Infrastructure Ontario announced today that Women's College Partnership is the preferred proponent selected to design, build, finance and maintain the hospital's redevelopment project. As the preferred proponent, Women's College Partnership is in the process of negotiating a final contract with Women's College Hospital and Infrastructure Ontario.

This project will involve the construction of a new 400,000 square foot facility on the hospital's current Grenville Street site in downtown Toronto. The redeveloped Women's College Hospital will replace all existing buildings and consolidate most hospital services in one location, enhancing the hospital's stature as a leader in women's health care, research and education.

The construction project will provide a sizeable stimulus to the regional and Ontario economies by directly and indirectly creating and supporting thousands of jobs. Labour will be drawn largely from the Greater Toronto Area.

"This announcement marks an important milestone for Women's College Hospital as it prepares for construction of its new facility," said the Honourable Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. "It is a further demonstration of the McGuinty government's commitment to modernize Ontario's hospitals, so that Ontarians can access the care they need, when they need it, in the most up-to-date facilities."

"I'm delighted to see the Women's College redevelopment project take this important step forward," said the Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. "The hospital's redevelopment will enhance the quality of life and quality of care for women and their families across Ontario that rely on the hospital's specialized services."

"We are poised to enter into negotiations with Women's College Partnership as we continue our work to make this extraordinary project a reality," said Marilyn Emery, President and CEO of Women's College Hospital. "We are grateful for the commitment shown to the hospital by the government and by our community and we look forward to continuing our collaboration."

The selection of Women's College Partnership is the result of an extensive evaluation process that followed a request for proposals process that began in July 2009. The Women's College Partnership team includes:

    
    Developer:               Bilfinger Berger Project Investments
    Design:                  Perkins Eastman Black/IBI
    Construction:            The Walsh Group/Bondfield Construction
    Facilities Management:   Black & McDonald Ltd./HSG Zander
    Financial Advisor:       Bilfinger Berger Project Investments
    

Following successful negotiations with Women's College Partnership, the project is expected to reach commercial close and financial close in July 2010, which will mean that relevant contracts have been signed, a financing rate has been set, the project's costs are finalized, and funds have been made available for the project.

Project costs will be announced publicly following financial close of the project. Construction is expected to begin shortly thereafter in fall 2010.

Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care are working with Women's College Hospital to develop this next phase of the new hospital, which will remain publicly owned, publicly controlled and publicly accountable. Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to managing some of the province's larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget.

Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information.

Disponible en français

    

    Backgrounder

                                                                 June 1, 2010

               WOMEN'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
    

Women's College Hospital's redevelopment project will involve the construction of a new facility on the hospital's current Grenville Street site in downtown Toronto.

The new facility will replace outdated buildings and enhance the hospital's ability to fulfill its mandate as Ontario's first and only stand-alone academic ambulatory care hospital.

Project Highlights

Highlights of Women's College Hospital's capital redevelopment project include:

    
    -   State-of-the-art ambulatory space that merges patient flow,
        technology and an improved patient experience;

    -   Re-location of services so that it is convenient for patients to
        visit several areas. This includes primary care, chronic disease
        management, surgical services, urgent care, gynaecology, diagnostics
        and mental health programs, all delivered in a flexible patient-
        centred, ambulatory model;

    -   Improved access for medical and diagnostic imaging services in an
        ambulatory setting;

    -   Comprehensive cancer services in breast, thyroid and skin, including
        survivorship;

    -   Enhanced research units to facilitate women's health research;

    -   Co-location of research, education and patient care spaces to create
        improved knowledge translation between researchers, educators and
        clinicians;

    -   Home of the new Centre for Ambulatory Care Education supporting
        health science students.
    

The new building will allow for an expansion of existing programs and an increase in patient volumes at Women's College Hospital. Currently, the hospital has approximately 260,000 patient visits annually; projected volumes for 2014-15 are approximately 395,000 patient visits.

Construction of the new 400,000 square foot facility is scheduled to begin in fall 2010.

Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information.

Disponible en français

For further information: Jodi Salem, Women's College Hospital, [phone] ext. 4054; Tom Boreskie, Infrastructure Ontario, [phone]