Vancouver council approves rezoning for new St. Paul's Hospital
Credit to Author: Harrison Mooney| Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2019 02:52:09 +0000
Vancouver council has approved the rezoning for the site of the new St. Paul’s Hospital in False Creek, the largest hospital redevelopment project in B.C. history.
The approval, which follows provincial government approval for the $1.9 billion business plan in February, means that Providence Health Care can now move ahead with plans for a new hospital at 1002 Station St.
“In the years leading up to this decision, hundreds of people shared their ideas for the future of St. Paul’s,” said Fiona Dalton, president and CEO of Providence. “We listened to the diverse voices of people, stakeholders and communities, including residents of the area, seniors, Indigenous peoples, community groups, business owners, doctors, staff, patients, and more.”
Plans for the new location, set to open in 2026, include a 548-bed acute care hospital, an outpatient centre, a clinical support and research centre, and a public plaza and wellness walk.
Rezoning approval also includes future proposed phases for the 18.4-acre site, possibly including office and retail space, a hotel, and rental housing. Future potential development opportunities will be confirmed at later.
Costs for this massive project will be shared by the provincial government and Providence, which will contribute proceeds from the sale of the existing Burrard Street location, a downtown Vancouver landmark since 1894.
St. Paul’s Foundation has committed to raising $225 million for the hospital, the largest hospital fundraising campaign in Western Canada. The foundation has achieved 75 per cent of their fundraising goal.
“For 125 years St. Paul’s has been a vital part of the Vancouver community and all of British Columbia,” said Paul Hollands, St. Paul’s Foundation Campaign Chair. “Its legacy of providing both incredible compassionate care and achieving world leading medical breakthroughs is what makes St. Paul’s so special.”