News

Bilfinger Berger Project Investments, in partnership with John Laing, has been appointed preferred bidder for the Kelowna and Vernon Hospitals development in British Columbia, Canada.

The project is part of a major expansion of health care facilities in the Okanagan region of British Columbia for Interior Health Authority that will enhance patient care for the rapidly growing population. The project has two sites 45km apart in the valley of Lake Okanagan 400km east of Vancouver.

Kelowna General Hospital will provide a 33,000m2 Ambulatory Care Centre comprising a new emergency department, general clinics area, surgical services, short-stay beds, renal services, diagnostic services for outpatients including cardiology, respiratory, neuro-diagnostics, satellite lab collection station and satellite diagnostic imaging. It will be linked to the existing hospital, and include a rooftop helipad, as well as two floors of shelled-in space for possible future expansion. In addition, the development will provide 4,000m2 of new accommodation for the University of British Columbia Medical School, which enables Kelowna General Hospital to become a clinical academic campus. The site will also benefit from a 10,000m2 parking structure.

At Vernon Jubilee Hospital, the facilities are expanded with a new 17,000m2 Diagnostic and Treatment Building which will provide ambulatory care and day surgery, emergency department services, surgical services, intensive care, cardiac care, maternity and pediatric services.

The project is required to achieve Gold Certification under the Canadian Green Building Council’s LEED rating system for environmentally sound and energy efficient buildings. Amongst the design features supporting LEED Gold Certification are green roofs, geothermal heating and cooling, electric vehicle recharging facilities and high thermal efficiency glazing.

The sponsoring consortium, Infusion Health, is led by Bilfinger Berger Project Investments with John Laing as co-sponsors. C$23m of equity will be committed to the project, and financial close is scheduled for August 2008.

Construction of the facilities will be undertaken by Graham Construction & Engineering, with multi-disciplinary design services provided by Stantec. Construction is scheduled to be completed in three phases, delivering the Kelowna UBC facilities and parking structure in 13 months, the Vernon DTB in 30 months and the Kelowna ACC in 43 months. The construction value exceeds C$300m.

Facility Management Services will be provided by Black & McDonald. The FM services include plant and building maintenance, utility management, environmental services and grounds maintenance to the new and existing hospital facilities for a 33-year period commencing in January 2009.