Q. Why is a new hospital being built?
The new facility will relieve the congestion of the current, aging building and provide an improved patient experience for generations to come.
The new hospital will include:
- Larger rooms, with modern technologies;
- A washroom in each patient room for enhanced infection prevention and control;
- More natural light and spectacular views of the city;
- Increased ambulatory care space for outpatient/community programming;
- Double the existing therapy space, including a state-of-the-art therapy area on each floor for easy access;
- An in-ground therapy pool that is triple the size of the existing above-ground pool;
- Double the number of patient lounges;
- More room for specialized wheelchairs, making it possible for patients to regain their independence in their own space;
- Bright, open dining rooms and common areas for visiting and recreational activities; and
- New areas open to the public, including a cafeteria, auditorium, retail shops, library, internet café, rooftop garden and labyrinth terrace.
Q. What is Infrastructure Ontario?
Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to the renewal of the province’s hospitals, courthouses and other essential public assets. Ensuring appropriate public control and ownership, Infrastructure Ontario uses alternative financing and procurement to rebuild vital infrastructure, on time and on budget.
All infrastructure projects are guided by the principles in the government’s Building a Better Tomorrow framework, ensuring public ownership of core public assets such as hospitals, schools and water and wastewater infrastructure.
Q. Who is Plenary Health?
The Plenary Health team includes Plenary Group, Innisfree, HDR Architects/Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc., PCL Constructors Canada Inc., Johnson Controls Inc., and RBC Capital Markets.
Q: How was Plenary Health chosen as the successful bidder?
A request for qualifications (RFQ) was issued by the Bridgepoint Health on November 26, 2007. Companies were short-listed based on their capacity to undertake projects of this size and complexity.
On July 29, 2008, a request for proposals (RFP) was issued to the pre-qualified companies. Three bids were received on March 31, 2008. Plenary Health was evaluated as the highest ranking bidder and was selected as the preferred proponent on June 10, 2009.
Infrastructure Ontario, in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Bridgepoint Health, selected Plenary Health based on predetermined criteria, including construction schedule, technical requirements and price.
An independent, third-party fairness advisor oversaw the RFP procurement process.
Q. Which contractor is building the Bridgepoint project?
PCL Constructors Canada Inc., with the assistance of its subcontractors, will build the new Bridgepoint Hospital in Toronto.
Q: How many jobs will be created by the project?
The construction project will be a significant boost to the local and provincial economies by directly and indirectly creating and supporting thousands of jobs. At the peak of construction, between 500 and 600 workers are expected to be on site daily. This number will fluctuate during the different phases of the project. The majority of the labour will be sourced from the Greater Toronto Area.
Q. Are local contractors being used?
Plenary Health and PCL are responsible for assembling the construction team. However, the use of local-subcontractors is important for a project of this size. At the peak period during construction, 500 to 600 workers are expected be on site daily. The majority of the labour will be sourced from the Greater Toronto Area.
Q: How much will this project cost?
The Bridgepoint Hospital project will be delivered using an alternative financing and procurement model. Plenary will receive annual payments from Bridgepoint Health over a 30-year period. Payments cover construction, building maintenance, lifecycle repair and renewal and project financing. Lifecycle repair and renewal will ensure that heating and cooling systems, windows, floors and roofing structures, for example, are kept in excellent working condition over the 30 year period.
The annual payments are comparable to a fixed-rate mortgage with maintenance and repair expenses included and will total approximately $1.27 billion after 30 years. In today’s dollars this is equivalent to approximately $622 million.
Q: Will the new hospital remain a public hospital?
Absolutely. The hospital will remain publicly owned, publicly controlled and publicly accountable.
Q. When will construction start?
On August 24, 2009, construction hoarding/tree protection and preliminary site work will begin in the area of the patient patio (next to the cafeteria) and the grassed area around the gazebo, between the hospital and 430 Broadview Avenue.
Activity in this area will include the construction of the new main entrance and reception area, along with a new patient drop-off location that will be accessed via the Broadview Avenue entrance. This work is scheduled for completion in late November of this year, at which point the old main entrance will be closed to allow construction of the new hospital building to begin.
Q: What is the timeline for completion of the project?
Construction of the physical facility will be completed in early 2013, and it is anticipated that patient care will move to the new hospital in the spring of 2013.