Medical arts building part of plans for new hospital site
This photo taken from the roof of the new complex looks north to Fourth Avenue, which will be redeveloped into four lanes. Highway 406 traffic can be seen in the distance.
The construction of a medical arts building next to the new health complex in west St. Catharines is under discussion, along with improved roadways and transportation for our community to access the facility when it opens in the spring of 2013.
The new health complex and Walker Family Cancer Centre are situated on 32 acres of a 40-acre site at First Street and Fourth Avenue in St. Catharines.
The remaining eight acres of the property located immediately west of the hospital building and Francis Creek Drainage Canal will include a helipad for emergency air traffic to the site and new building development.
“A medical arts building is part of the Niagara Health System’s overall development plans for the site,” says Chief Planning and Development Officer Gloria Kain.
“A development like this would allow additional complementary healthcare services to be made available to the public while at the same time generate revenue for the Niagara Health System that could be largely invested into equipment purchases for the hospital,” says Gloria.
Niagara Health is working with its neighbours, partners and legal advisors to begin a competitive process to select a developer that will meet the needs of the hospital and the community. Construction of the new hospital continues to progress on budget and on schedule, and it is expected that the medical arts building would open at the same time as the new hospital in 2013.
In the meantime, the Regional Municipality of Niagara’s transportation and engineering department continues with traffic planning in the city’s west end. Work has already begun to assess the repositioning of hydro lines along Fourth Avenue in anticipation of road widening and new traffic lights around the hospital.
“Eventually the road leading up to the hospital from Vansickle (Road) will be widened and will mirror the four-lane roads that pass by the Fourth Avenue shopping plazas,” says Niagara Region’s Transportation and Engineering Project Manager John Rizzo.
These improvements came about due to a previous traffic study of west St. Catharines and are not solely due to the presence of the hospital.
“In addition, the Region is working alongside the Ministry of Transportation and the City to conduct a class environmental assessment to determine the suitability of an additional interchange off the 406 Highway to service west St. Catharines,” says John.
While the exact location and details of the interchange are being worked out, the plans will be ready for public input late in the year. «
Please visit nhs.plenaryprojects.com to learn more about the construction and development of our new healthcare complex and Walker Family Cancer Centre and to view photos and web cameras.
