Provided by Windsor Regional Hospital. Provided by Windsor Regional Hospital.
Windsor

New hospital construction budget expected to increase

The new hospital project in Windsor will make an important submission to the Ministry of Health later this month.

The submission will include the first set of block diagrams and campus plan along with updated cost estimates.

Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj said they haven't pinned down that number but construction will cost more than initially anticipated.

"The ministry and the government have indicated to us clearly it is not a surprise to them. We just have to work through it and we have to work through it step-by-step-by-step," said Musyj.

In 2015, it was estimated the entire process would cost around $2 billion and take about 10 years to complete. That process was delayed due to legal battles over the selected location.

Because of those delays, the hospital did not receive funding to proceed to the project's planning stage until 2021.  Under the new timeline, it is expected the contract will be awarded in 2025 and construction will begin in 2026.

"We have to take this one step at a time now that we're into it. I would have loved to have had this proceed when it was first approved in 2017, it did not," said Musyj. "That's water under the bridge, we can't recreate history."

After the hospital makes its submission this month the Ministry of Health will review it and provide feedback to help shape the final plans.

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