Plan to merge health boards won't stall move to Citi Plaza
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie says centralization shouldn't stop the move
Plans to move the offices of the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) to Citi Plaza in downtown London will not be stalled by the province's decision to merge public health agencies into larger regional offices.
That's according to London's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Chris Mackie.
The Ford government announced in last week's provincial budget that it plans to consolidate Ontario's 35 public health units into 10 regional agencies in 2021.
But Mackie says he doesn't think the centralization will affect the local health unit's decision to relocate.
"Whoever is making decisions at that point may have to be creative in terms of how that is done," he said. "There may be partnerships needed to fill the space out. Or, on the other hand, there may be growth if there is more centralization in order to to achieve more efficient services."
I am pretty confident this lease will be a solid asset.- Dr. Chris Mackie, Chief Medical Officer of Health
Mackie says the renovations at Citi Plaza are expected to start in January and the new offices will likely be occupied by the end of next March.
He said he couldn't comment on the cost of the relocation because the renovation work has not yet gone out for tender.
The decision to lease the new office space has been steeped in controversy. Middlesex County initially blocked the move in March, 2018 by withholding its consent because of unanswered questions about service delivery and impact on costs.
- Middlesex-London Heatlh Unit cleared to move into Citi Plaza
- Health Unit wants to move to Citi Plaza but its current landlord says no
The matter went to court and in May Justice J. N. Morrisette of the Ontario Superior Court ruled the health unit could proceed with the lease agreement with Citi Plaza.
Morrisette ruled the county's decision to withhold consent was illegal and demonstrated bias because MIddlesex County owns the building on King St. where the health unit is currently headquartered and collects more than $600,000 annually in rent from MLHU.
Justice Morrisette concluded that Middlesex County had a direct interest in retaining the health unit as a tenant.