City seeks feedback on major Vancouver General Hospital expansion

An ambitious plan is underway for the expansion of Vancouver General Hospital.

The city is seeking public opinion on the hospital’s rezoning application, which would redevelop the block at 900 and 990 West 12th Ave. to become the site of two new hospital towers housing a long-term care home, a daycare, a public plaza, and more.

The project would provide expanded clinical and office space, while consolidating Coastal Health programs that currently occupy leased spaces spread elsewhere along the Broadway corridor. It would keep pace with the province’s aging and growing population.

The VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation snapped up the 62,507-sq.-ft. site, which is immediately south of the current VGH campus, when it came up for sale in 2022. Currently, it is home to the 14-storey Windermere Care Centre, a 207-bed care facility, and a three-storey rental apartment building with 26 residential units.

“A tenant relocation plan is currently underway, as the new development will not include any residential units on site,” the application reads.

Currently, the lots are zoned for comprehensive development and residential. The hospital foundation is applying to rezone the lot.

The project will be built in phases to allow time for additional fundraising, and to ensure current Windermere residents can be moved into a new space before the second phase begins.

Phase 1 of the project would add 156,318 square feet of clinical space across 26 storeys for transplant clinics, hematology programs, surgical oncology, seniors’ care, women’s health, complex medicine, cardiac innovation, and diagnostic services.

It would also include 280 long-term care beds.

Currently, the province faces an estimated deficit of 1,300 long-term-care beds.

The second phase would be a 28-storey building for clinic space, medical offices, a 3,000-sq.-ft. daycare, and a public atrium along 12th Avenue connecting to a public open plaza.

Retail space would be available at street level, while several levels of parking would be underground.

Vancouver Coastal Health would lease the property from the hospital foundation, with net proceeds reinvested back into health care and other improvements.

Postmedia has reached out to the VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation for more information about the potential timeline and cost of the project.

The City of Vancouver is now accepting feedback on the rezoning application online.

sip@postmedia.com