New Health-Care Complex (Contact / Media Information)
Redevelopment of our St. Catharines General and Ontario Street Sites
When it was announced we would be building a brand new health complex for the residents of St. Catharines, Thorold, Niagara-on-the-Lake and immediate area, replacing the current St. Catharines General and Ontario Street sites, the NHS made a pledge that we would not let these two sites go dark following the new hospital opening in 2013.
Following a formal procurement process, the Ontario Street Site property was sold in 2006 to joint venture partners Walker Industries and Mountainview Homes; part of the land has already been developed.
The NHS is currently looking for an interested buyer to develop the St. Catharines General site. The sale of both properties helps to fund the local share of the new hospital.
St. Catharines General on the market
With all required approvals in place, including rezoning for medium density residential development and an official plan amendment by the City of St. Catharines at the end of 2010, the St. Catharines General Site is officially on the market.
Pre-zoning the site before being put up for sale was an important achievement prior to formally seeking a buyer. This process was put in place in order to ensure the successful developer complies with the recommendations for use that the extensive community consultation process has set forth.
The property contains four parcels of land, totalling 12 acres, including:
- St. Catharines General Site, fronting Queenston Street (10.4 acres)
- Large parking lot on the east side of Prince Street (1.2 acres)
- Current residential property fronting on the south side of Valleyview Road (0.3 acres)
- Current residential property fronting on the southwest corner of Eastchester Avenue and Valleyview Road (0.1 acres)
Current Status: Request for Expressions of Interest
Developers interested in purchasing and developing the property are asked to indicate their interest by submitting a concise Expression of Interest (no greater than eight pages) demonstrating such items as proposed land use, value of the properties including demolition of the buildings (if they are to be removed), experience and financial capacity, proposed schedule and financial terms and conditions.
The Request for Expressions of Interest , along with all related background documents are posted below. Responses are due no later than 1 p.m. on April 11, 2011. All enquiries should be directed to donmay@almostthere.ca.
A public information session for interested parties will be held on March 23, 2011. City representatives, engineering and planning consultants will be available to answer any questions based on available information.
Evaluation Criteria
In evaluating interest from potential buyers, the NHS will consider:
- Applicants’ proposed use of the properties
- Value of the lands
- Applicants’ experience and financial capacity
- Applicants’ demonstrated commitment to pursuing continued community consultation
- Health or wellness uses which would serve the community
- Initiatives such as LEED, Smart Growth and regard for the potential Old Canal/Centennial Gardens
Background: Planning for the future of the St. Catharines General Site
The NHS has been working with a community advisory group which has met regularly since 2004 to gain input and direction in planning for the future use of the SCG site.
The Queenston Community Advisory Committee is comprised of property owners and business people from the Queenston Street area, as well as interested residents from the local area. The committee has been wonderfully cooperative, working hand-in-hand with us to develop concepts to shape this property to help build a vibrant and thriving future for this neighbourhood.
Throughout this process, with the assistance of the Committee, BLS Planning, Almost There Inc., the City of St. Catharines, the Regional Municipality of Niagara and a few other agencies, the NHS has conducted numerous studies and research.
Some highlights of planning include:
- Delving into the history of the hospital and discovering the age of each of the sections
- Studying the possibilities for retrofitting the entire structure and consideration of tearing down all or part of the building.
- Looking at the infrastructure and studying the weight bearing ability of the land.
- Environmental assessments, traffic studies, and by-law review
- Researching what other cities have done with their old hospitals.
Positive aspects of the area include:
- Established business community with a school and a number of churches nearby
- Site is in walking distance of downtown and is located on a number of bus routes
- Nestled behind the site: Centennial Park
Considerations for the property:
The Committee has expressed to desire to preserve some of the historical aspects of the site and hopes that the revitalization effort will bring a mix of people to the area. Some of the residential lots would attract seniors, some young singles or newlyweds, and others would attract families with children. Feedback has also shown the desire to encourage the future developer to incorporate a health-care component in the area, as well as a community centre.
What the future will look like
The development will include a mix of dwelling types with a maximum building height of six storeys. In order to maintain a friendly scale for pedestrians, the maximum height along the street front will be maintained to three storeys. If underground parking is provided, the maximum building height would be increased to 12 storeys.
In terms of architectural interest, there will be varied use of materials, textures and colours. Other features are proposed to include bus shelters, seating at bus stops, landscaping, a pedestrian walkway and views to Centennial Gardens.
Redevelopment of the Ontario Street Site
The Ontario Street properties were sold in 2006 to joint venture partners Walker Industries and Mountainview Homes as part of the local share to fund the new health-care complex. The agreement with Walker/Mountainview was structured as a long-term purchase/sale transaction to allow for two separate closings which enables NHS to continue occupying the facilities on Ontario Street until the new health-care complex opens to patients in 2013.
The sale of the first parcel of the land (which was a parking lot located at Ontario Street and Welland Avenue, across the street of the current building) closed on January 31, 2006 and is known as site A. This parcel was developed into townhomes, many of which are now occupied.
The sale of the second parcel of land, known as site B, includes the hospital buildings on the west side of Ontario Street and the adjacent parking lot.
As part of this deal, Walker/Mountainview accepted the responsibility and cost of future demolition of the buildings located on the Ontario Street properties. Housing development plans for the real estate on parcel B where the hospital buildings still stand are still being developed.