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Gold shovels went into the ground Monday to mark the beginning of construction on the long-awaited parkade at Regina’s General Hospital.
The new parkade will be built in the northwest portion of the existing visitors’ parking lot. The new facility will include a total of 1,005 stalls — comprising 873 stalls in the parkade and 132 surface stalls — for a net increase of 686 parking stalls.
Construction is expected to be complete by November of 2024.
Representatives from the Government of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Link Developments Ltd. joined special guests in taking part in Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony, which signified the start of construction.
Premier Scott Moe said the new parkade will improve the experience of many people who visit the hospital.
“The new parkade will provide safety. It will provide accessibility and convenience for staff, for patients, for families of patients, and for visitors that are coming to this hospital,” Moe said.
Moe said the provincial government has invested about $22.4 million into the construction of the new parkade.
The government announced in March of 2020 that it was instructing the Saskatchewan Health Authority to examine the feasibility of building a parkade at the hospital in central Regina.
That announcement came after years of complaints about the parking situation at the hospital, so the news of the planning was greeted warmly by many people who work at the hospital or who were visiting patients.
Survey work began at the site in 2022, but was halted in June after so-called “anomalies” were found under the ground. That forced an excavation of the area, which paused the process.
“The anomalies could be old foundations, building structures (and) other excavation activities but could also potentially be historical burials,” the Saskatchewan Health Authority said in a media release at the time.
The excavation turned up structural debris and old building materials, including brick, ceramic, fieldstone, glass and mortar.
The procurement process then continued, with Link Developments Ltd. ultimately being selected to build the new facility.
That company has been operating in Saskatchewan since 2014 and was involved in the construction of the Eastgate Centre-Medical Professional Building with a heated parkade in Regina. It also built the University of Saskatchewan stadium parkade and the Avenue P Medical office building in Saskatoon.
Health Minister Everett Hindley said the provincial government is happy to be able to begin construction on the facility at the General.
“Parking availability and safety at the Regina General Hospital have been a concern for patients, staff and visitors. The additional parking spaces that will be created will improve accessibility and safety for those who work at and visit the General Hospital,” said Hindley.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday at the Regina General Hospital for the long-awaited parkade that’s to be built on the hospital grounds. (Roman Hayter/980 CJME)