Prep work for new hospital to start soon

Mac Olsen
South Peace News

Sometime this week or next, equipment will be moved onto the proposed hospital land in the Peavine Subdivision to conduct geological investigations and pile load testing. Then other equipment will be brought in to measure the settlement of the soggy soils. Early next year, backfill material will be moved to the site to consolidate the soils and minimize building settlement in the future. “So through … January, February and March, local residents will see trucks rolling onto the site to deposit the granular material, to fill the site to the new raised level of the building, and to consolidate the soils to prevent future settlement,” says Richard Limmert, senior associate for Stantech Architecture of Calgary. Limmert and members of Peace Country Health travelled to High Prairie Oct. 19 for a series of meetings to discuss the status of the hospital design. This included a public meeting at the High Prairie Inn that afternoon. Limmert says foundation construction will follow in the spring and construction of the superstructure will begin in the fall. Assuming that the labour will be available, it will take about two years to construct the hospital. He also discusses the challenges of natural forces. “We have to be (cognizant) of the natural forces of wind and sun, and the contours of the site to mitigate the development problems and the cost of construction. It’s important to understand how the wind pushes the snow around front entrances and service dock areas,” says Limmert. The hospital will measure 11,700 square metres or 120,000 square feet. The design will allow for future expansion. Limmert says it will be a one-storey building mainly, but there will be a small second floor to house some community health services. A crawl space underneath the first floor will also be included. The new hospital will have an emergency services department, laboratories, diagnostic imaging, 30 beds for acute care and an operating room with day surgery support. Shell facilities for a renal dialysis unit, a cancer clinic and a CT Scan unit will be constructed as well. A continuing care facility will be built, comprised of 42 beds in three homes. It will have a community hall and shared facilities to support the residents. There will be tenant space for two medical clinics, a retail pharmacy and a dentist. These facilities will have their own offices. In addition, there will be a large teaching kitchen with a cafeteria to provide food services for patients and staff. Limmert also says the new hospital will meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification for being environmentally friendly. “The LEED Silver certification means that the entire facility, including the landscape development, is going to be made more sustainable than your average development. It means that we’re looking at low-energy building design,” says Limmert. It also means low maintenance, long life and low energy consumption – a state-of- the-art facility. The parking lots will have stalls big enough to fit large pick-up trucks because many people in High Prairie drive them, he says. One of the features of the landscape design will be a storm water retention pond. The retention pond could be used as part of a geothermal heating and cooling system for the hospital, thereby extending the LEED certification. In addition, recreational uses may be incorporated into the landscape development. Dalton Russell is the senior project manager for Peace Country Health in Grande Prairie. He notes that the new hospital will cost approximately $44 million to construct, based on the approved funding in 2006. Russell adds that Peace Country Health will hire a construction manager to oversee the project. He is looking to hire that person now while the architects are still in the design phase.

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