Is St. Paul's Hospital moving?

There is talk St Paul's Hospital could be demolished and relocated.

Three years after Premier Christy Clark stood in front of the 103-year-old hospital and announced its revitalization, B.C. NDP MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert says he's hearing the facility, in serious need of seismic upgrades, will be demolished and replaced with condos.

"I started hearing from real estate folks, health care people, folks in the unions in the hospital, folks within Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence, calling me, alerting me, because they were very upset to hear that the Premier and others were looking at betraying their promise to renew St. Paul's Hospital," he told CBC News.

Chandra Herbert says the property, north of the train station at Main and Terminal, has long been rumoured as one possible location. The hospital would neither confirm, nor deny a possible move. 

"All I can say is that we're continuing to work with the government, on the best solution to revitalize the hospital for the communities that it serves," said spokesman Dave Lefebvre.

The government said in a statement issued Thursday, it was firmly committed to revitalizing the hospital, but didn't address concerns about a change of location.

"We are continuing to work with Providence Healthcare on the best way to revitalize the hospital for the communities it serves," it said. 

"We must make sure that this fits within the future long-term vision of health care in the region and across the province, focusing on more comprehensive community services and a partnership between Lower Mainland hospital. We must also ensure that St. Paul's Hospital can continue to serve the community while the revitalization project is underway."

Chandra Herbert says if he was wrong, the government wouldn't be issuing ambivalent statements. It would be setting the record straight.