April 23, 2010
New Oakville Hospital One Step Closer
The New Oakville Hospital has just moved one step closer to reality. Following months of consultations, delegations and deliberations, Oakville Town Council approved a Local Share
Request for the New Oakville Hospital by a vote of 11-2.
Town Council passed the motion at a meeting held on April 20, 2010 to accept the staff recommendation that $130 million be provided by the Town of Oakville at Substantial Completion (when construction is complete and the new hospital is ready for occupancy), $40 million in additional funds as required over a 30-year period to fund life-cycle maintenance costs and another $30 million at Substantial Completion, if determined to be necessary when the firm costs of the project are determined at financial close next year.
“This was a decision that will benefit hundreds of thousands of Oakvillians into the foreseeable future. The chance to build a new hospital and position our community during this period of growth and change comes once in a lifetime," said John Oliver, Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) President and CEO. "We are so fortunate that an enlightened council saw the opportunity and demonstrated true leadership. They absolutely exhibited rigorous diligence and debate to test the opportunity and confirm their capacity to fund our request. This decision was the last major hurdle allowing us to release the Request for Proposals and begin the final stage of pre-construction work.”
"Mayor Burton and all of our Councillors have shown great leadership for this project. Their commitment to public consultations and accountability to the community is to be
commended," said Mags Shorey, Chair, HHS Board of Directors. "Their support of this project ensures that Oakville residents will have access to high-quality healthcare in their own
community for years to come. This is the right decision for Oakville."
The financial commitment from the Town of Oakville is the last piece of the hospital’s Local Share Plan which must be submitted to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term for approval before HHS and Infrastructure Ontario can release the Request for Proposals (RFP).
The RFP will be released to the pre-qualified bidders at the end of May 2010. The contract will be awarded to the successful bidder approximately one-year later followed by the start of
construction.
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