Site for Regina General Hospital parkade selected, facility to be owned by third party
Hospital staff have complained about parking for years
The Saskatchewan government has announced that it will build the new parkade at the Regina General Hospital in the northwest portion of the facility's existing visitor parking lot near the main hospital doors.
The long-awaited project will be built through a partial lease procurement model, the province announced on Monday.
That means the completed structure will be owned, maintained and operated by a third party with the Saskatchewan Health Authority leasing the parkade.
Parking has long been a frustrating subject for staff at the hospital. For years, they've complained about safety as well as the need to moving a vehicle multiple times during a shift in order to avoid a parking ticket.
The parkade is meant to solve that issue.
"Our government values and appreciates health care workers and the vital services they provide to Saskatchewan people," Health Minister Paul Merriman is quoted as saying in a press release.
"We are pleased to be moving forward with this parkade project."
The first study of the potential project launched in 2020.
A request for proposals (RFP) for an owner's representative team is now posted on the province's tender website.
That team will provide technical services and oversight of the parkade project through the procurement, design and construction phases of the project, according to the document.
The RFP provides details on the project including a requirement for a minimum of 800 stalls. The project will also allow the proponent to include commercial space or additional stalls in their proposal.
The parkade project will displace some existing surface stalls and the parkade itself will be connected to the hospital through an outdoor uncovered walking path. There will be no above ground connection between the parkade and the hospital.
Submissions for the RFP are due by Oct. 24.
A preliminary timeline has the parkade scheduled to begin construction in the Spring of 2023 with the project's completion set for 2024.
The SHA is looking at some interim solutions as they attempt to minimize the disruption to parking that will occur during the parkade's construction.
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With files from Adam Hunter