Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) have awarded a fixed price contract to Plenary Health to design, build, finance and maintain of Milton District Hospital expansion project in Ontario, Canada.

Plenary Health is composed by:

• Developer: Plenary Group (Canada) Ltd.
• Constructor: PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
• Architect: B+H Architects
• Financial Advisor: RBC Capital Markets
• Facility Manager: Johnson Controls

The consortium beat out competition from two other shortlisted teams: Hospital Infrastructure Partners and Milton Healthcare Partnership.

The contract value of the Milton District Hospital project is approximately CAD$512 million, which reflects the substantial completion payment and the monthly service payments before inflation adjustments.

The expansion will add 330,000 square feet of space to the existing 125,000-square-foot hospital. Designed to address the needs of all users, including seniors, children, individuals with visual or cognitive impairments and those using wheelchairs and other mobility aids, the project will focus on meeting the care needs of those living in Milton, the fastest-growing community in Canada.

Project highlights include:

• expansion of emergency and surgical services, medical/surgical inpatient units, critical care, maternal newborn and diagnostic imaging and support services
• overall capacity increase from 63 to 129 inpatient beds
• eighty per cent single-patient rooms for improved infection prevention and control and to provide increased patient privacy and a quieter healing environment
• addition of the hospital's first Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine
• a Level 2A Special Care Nursery with capacity for eight bassinettes in the Maternal Newborn Unit

Construction of the expansion is expected to be completed in spring 2017, followed by occupancy in the fall.

Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, stated:

"Today's announcement is great news for Milton residents. Soon shovels will be in the ground to expand Milton District Hospital into a state-of-the-art facility that meets the diverse health-care needs of this fast-growing community. This investment is an example of our government's commitment to improving access to high quality care for Ontarians."

Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, commented:

"The news today that a contract has been signed with the preferred proponent, Plenary Health, means we are one step closer to realizing this long-awaited vision for a hospital that provides Milton residents with high-quality care in the right place at the right time. The expansion will improve health care for the community, while generating jobs and stimulating the province's economy."

Denise Hardenne, President and CEO, Halton Healthcare Services, added:

"We are thrilled to have reached this milestone and look forward to our new partnership with Plenary Health as we begin this highly anticipated state-of-the-art expansion project. The delivery of high-quality programs and services in Milton will be greatly enhanced."