Graham Design Builders LP of Delta has been selected as the project proponent for the $217.75 million Cariboo Memorial Hospital redevelopment project in Williams Lake.
“It’s another important step in the project,” health minister Adrian Dix told the Tribune Wednesday, April 7. “This is something that’s been anticipated for a long time.”
Redeveloping the hospital, which opened in August 1962, is important for the region, he added.
“In the next 10 years we expect the number of people over 65 years of age to go up by 62 per cent and that means we will need more bed capacity and need to recruit more doctors. You do that with a renovated — basically in this case — a new hospital.”
The renovation and expansion will be done in two phases.
Phase one is a three-storey addition to the hospital while phase two will be renovations to the existing facility.
When completed CMH will have a new emergency department and medical surgical unit, expanded ambulatory care and maternal and women’s health units, the addition of a mental-health and substance-use inpatient unit, a multi-purpose gathering room, space for the University of British Columbia’s faculty of medicine program and new parking stalls.
“It will be a game changer for people who need mental health care that we’re redeveloping the Cariboo Memorial Hospital with them front of mind,” said minister of health and addictions Sheila Malcolmson in a news release.
Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Chair Bob Simpson said the CCRHD is proud to be a funding partner for the project.
“CMH has served the needs of regional residents for many, many years and we look forward to seeing this project to modernize the hospital come to fruition,” Simpson noted.
Graham Design Builders LP was one of three shortlisted teams announced in December 2020.
The company will now finalize a design early works agreement to oversee the construction of the CMH development and a detailed design.
Stantec Architecture Ltd. and Stantec Consulting Ltd. are joining the design team.
Dix said it is good news for the region and all of the changes will bring the hospital into the 21st century.
“In many respects the time for the upgrade was probably 10 years ago,” he said. “You’ve got to build in the capacity to adjust in the coming years and that’s what you will see here.”
It is anticipated the final design will be completed by the fall of 2021 and the first ground-breaking will be in the first half of 2022.
Read more: 3 bidders shortlisted for $217.8 million Cariboo Memorial Hospital redevelopment
Northern Health announced in March it had selected Graham Design Builders LP for the design phase of the Stuart Lake Hospital.
Read more: Stuart Lake Hospital in Fort St. James moves into design phase
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