NDP MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert hearing St. Paul’s Hospital will be torn down for condos
On June 13, 2012, Premier Christy Clark stood on the roof of St. Paul’s Hospital.
Amid some speculation of a snap election that year, the B.C. Liberal leader announced a $500-million redevelopment of the world-class but aging facility.
Almost three years later, there are fears that the province will not deliver on its promise.
According to the B.C. NDP MLA who represents Vancouver-West End, where the acute care, teaching, and research hospital is located, it's looking like St. Paul's will be torn down and moved to False Creek, with condos to be built at its prime downtown location.
“I’m getting it from business people, from real-estate people, from health-care people, from enough sources within and outside of government that I’m taking it seriously,” Spencer Chandra Herbert told the Straight today (April 2).
Chandra Herbert said he’d love to proven wrong here.
“I’ve heard rumours before and I’ve been able to discount them because, well, we’ve made the government stand and promise to deliver on site,” the New Democrat said. “The fact that they have not delivered on site and now won’t commit to a timeline to deliver a renewed St. Paul’s Hospital and now we’re hearing this—that’s what has me so concerned. It seems that they’ve been backing away from their promise.”
According to Chandra Herbert, he has gotten in touch with Minister of Health Terry Lake and Providence Health Care, which runs the hospital, about this matter.
“So far it’s all denial,” the Vancouver-West End MLA said. “But I hope that denial continues because what I’m told is detailed enough....And I’d rather that we kill it off now rather than being surprised about it a few weeks down the road.”
He noted that the current provincial budget under consideration by the legislative assembly provides no budget for the redevelopment of St. Paul’s.
“I felt I had to go public because they won’t give me any security that we’re going to renew on site,” Chandra Herbert said. “They refused to say what they’re going to do and when.”
The Ministry of Health didn't make a spokesperson available for an interview today.
Comments
24 Comments
Tory
Apr 2, 2015 at 2:01pm
Perhaps it would have been worth the Straight making a call to ask the government?
@tory
Apr 2, 2015 at 2:14pm
so we could have the latest political spin?
I'm tired of the lies.
Figures...
Apr 2, 2015 at 3:35pm
Vancouver is just another cookie cutter condoville city now anyways. Is this any surprise?? /yawn
J.M.T.
Apr 2, 2015 at 4:18pm
Hospitals cost the City to maintain, that isn't a good business practice. Large condominium developments on the other hand, bring in huge amounts of two things:
1. Money from the developer to the City
2. More people who pay taxes to the City
This is a sound business practice.
Done Deal?
Apr 2, 2015 at 4:20pm
It makes one wonder about the provisions for density and re-development at the St. Paul's site in the new West End Community Plan. Shangri-La II, III, and IV - here we come?
Relocate St. Paul's
Apr 2, 2015 at 6:59pm
The Burrard street building will be retained and turned into condos, which will be insanely valuable to whichever company develops them. This can be accomplished if the Province & city get to pay off their respective supporters, a shocking number of whom they have in common. The new site will even promise higher staffing levels to get the unions onside. Ultimately Herbert will be tilting at a windmill as everyone who has power gets what they want from the deal. Herbert has no power, that is why the story is here and not somewhere with more traffic.
Relocating the hospital services from St. Paul's makes sense given the age of the main structure and the ongoing and increasing costs to maintain facilities and services. A new facility built to modern standards won't be on the same site nor should it be. When St. Paul's was built it was pretty well located, now it is misplaced as well as ill suited to modern medicine. Keep some services onsite but save the Burrard buidlings by converting them to condos.
J.R.F.
Apr 2, 2015 at 7:30pm
It totally makes sense to move the hospital. The old hospital is not viable. The revenue generated by sale of the land would be a huge offset to building a structure suitbable for the 21st century. The proposed new location on the flats land, north of the rail tracks, would be ideal, in terms of increased accessiblity by public transit ( Skytrain and buses).
EFG
Apr 2, 2015 at 7:34pm
It would be way more expensive to redevelop that old hospital than to build a new one, and it would be very disruptive for doctors and patients. As long as it is being replaced, changing the location isn't a problem.
SDW
Apr 2, 2015 at 9:54pm
I have no problem with the relocating of the hospital, and selling the land to offset the cost of a new building.
What I have a HUGE problem with is the government's lack of transparency on this.
Oh Goody, more condos for foreign nationals to buy
Apr 2, 2015 at 10:20pm
when they arrive by the busload to do their real estate tours. Vancouver is a city I no longer want to live in.