Replacement for St. Clare's to be built near St. John's-Paradise border

The Newfoundland and Labrador government has announced the location of the facility that will eventually replace the aging St. Clare's Mercy Hospital in St. John's.

The new hospital will be built on Nils Way, located off Kenmount Road just west of Kenmount Terrace.

Premier Andrew Furey spoke in front of reporters, cabinet minister and the mayors of St. John's, Paradise, and Mount Pearl on Monday, delivering the details of the new facility, which he envisions will be campus-like with different buildings. 

"This new, important and modern campus will be more than just a replacement of St. Clare's Mercy Hospital," Furey said. "It will help us realign health-care services on the Northeast Avalon as we transform and grow as a province."

Furey said the location was selected because it's easily accessible by road and connects St. John's, Mount Pearl, CBS and Paradise.

In 2022, government announced its plans to replace St. Clare's with a new bigger and more modern facility.

It's premature to say when the hospital will be open, Furey said, or how much the final cost will total. But the next step is an issued request for proposals in 2025 for the design of the new space.

WATCH | Furey details what the new hospital in St. John's will offer:

New hospital planned for near Kenmount Road is more than just a replacement for St. Clare’s: premier

23 days ago

Duration 0:52

It’s vacant land now, but Premier Andrew Furey says Kenmount Crossing will eventually be the site of the new acute care hospital and cardiovascular and stroke institute. It is near the borders of St. John’s, Mount Pearl and Paradise. The cost, a timeline and who will build it — including whether it will be a public-private partnership — are not yet known.

The new hospital will provide diagnostic and intervention care. It will also focus on acute care for elderly patients and serve as a hub for clinical teaching.

In anticipation of the traffic congestion because of the new hospital construction, Transportation Minister Fred Hutton said the province will work with the surrounding municipalities to construct new roads linking to the site.

But there's another reason why the province chose the 10 acres of land that sits on the border of Paradise and St. John's. It was donated. 

Glenn Hickey and Bert Hickman spoke on behalf of H3 Development — a joint venture between the Hickman automotive group and companies owned by Glenn Hickey.

"We felt that we had the ideal location for this hospital and we really wanted to get the premier's attention," Hickey said. "We also saw a rare opportunity to make a positive impact in our community and the province we hold so dear."

Hickey told reporters the company is also open to discussions about selling adjacent land for the hospital.

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