Capital Plan Development Task Force Update #25

The Capital Plan Development Task Force met on December 10.

The Task Force revisited the ‘Design Guiding Principles’ identified to serve as the goals and objectives for developing the future physical facilities for the Two Acute Sites model. Members reviewed draft definitions of each guiding principle, and with additional refinement, are looking forward to finalizing these values and their meanings to guide the principles of design.

The Task Force received an update on a second ‘blocking and stacking’ workshop on Nov. 10 led by the planning consultants with approximately 50 MAHC staff, physicians and leadership participants. Using breakout groups, the workshop engaged participants in key spatial relationships and physical adjacencies of programs and services, and ideal access for each of the potential options for redevelopment. The options that are being considered for both sites include: renovation and addition and complete new build. For the South Muskoka site, a greenfield approach where a hospital would be built on a different piece of land is also contemplated. The Task Force reviewed mock-ups that have been conceptualized by the Stantec architectural firm following the workshop. The mock-ups demonstrate the most ideal expansion and/or development areas on each piece of land, and blocking of the various services on each potential floor of each building. The Task Force was informed these high-level design options will be brought back to the third and final workshop in December for workshop participants to review. The Task Force will present finalized options to the community in the New Year before recommending a preferred design option for each of the Two Acute Sites model to the MAHC Board of Directors in the spring of 2019.

The Task Force continued to discuss the local share requirement for financing the Two Acute Sites redevelopment. The Foundations presented some of their research with respect to a fundraising feasibility study that has included key individuals through focus groups and interviews in order to determine a potential capital commitment from each Foundation. A small working group is also being developed to focus on the balance of the anticipated local share requirement and strategies for how it could be raised.

The next Task Force meeting is February 4, 2019.