Two million dollars has been spent so far on the Richmond Hospital rebuild project.
This is according to the BC Budget 2023, which was released last week by the provincial government.
The budget documents note that by the end of 2022, only $2 million had been spent, with the total budget expected to be $861 million.
The construction project – which will eventually add 113 more beds at Richmond Hospital – is in Phase One, and this has so far entailed relocating various departments in preparation for the demolition of the rotunda and the Park Centre, located next to the rotunda.
Programs that have been relocated are the Healthy Heart Program, the cast clinic, Sacred Space, the hand clinic and the IV clinic.
Work began on renovating the cancer care clinic in November, and it’s expected to be completed by this fall.
In preparation for the demolition of the rotunda, the fifth floor of the North Tower is being renovated to accommodate those currently working in the rotunda and who are expected to move in the fall.
The largest part of the construction will take place between 2025 and 2028 when the Yurkovich Family Pavilion, a nine-floor acute care tower, will be built.
Eventually, the North Tower will be demolished.
The Richmond Hospital Foundation originally raised $50 million toward the project, and now it’s raising another $20 million for the medical imaging centre.
So far, $16.5 million has been raised for the imaging centre.
The capacity of the imaging centre will be expanded, for example, there will be four CT machines – there is currently only one – and there will be an additional MRI for a total of two.
Construction is expected to be finished in 2029, after which it will take about two years to demolish the North Tower.
