Tender issued for hospital parking lot
SYDNEY — The province has issued a tender for construction of a relocated parking lot to allow the redevelopment of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital to go ahead.
The 401-page tender package to relocate the 238-space parking lot that is at the immediate rear of the hospital in order to make room for construction of announced additions to the hospital was posted recently and closes Jan. 28.
The tender document noted that in order to be eligible for award of the contract by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, the contractor is to provide proof of a commitment to employ at least 10 per cent of Aboriginals in any combination of skilled or unskilled labour, if qualified individuals are available. The total workforce that can be called upon to supply that quota can include sub-contractors. Qualified individuals will be identified by Membertou First Nation (and Unama’ki), the tender states.
The document includes the environmental site assessment prepared by consultant EXP.
The package notes that the site where the new parking lot will be located has been used as a trail dating back to 1939. Over the years additions have been made to the property such as the power lines, most likely during the construction of the regional hospital in the early 1990s and the CBRM waterline. The southeast property boundary runs roughly parallel with Highway 125. There are drainage ditches along Highway 125 that would be along the site property boundary.
Work under the contract covers work to complete relocation of an existing parking lot for Cape Breton Regional Hospital, located at Reservoir Road.
A geotechnical study of the site was completed in June-july 2019, which included excavation test pits and drilling bore holes.
It was recently announced that Pomerleau Lindsay Construction Joint Ventures will advise on the construction planning and management of the work performed on the hospital’s new emergency department, cancer centre and critical care department. All three areas will be part of a new 190,000-square-foot building at the back of the existing Sydney hospital. Another key responsibility of the contract winner is to operate a work schedule that minimizes disruptions to the hospital's daily operations.
The CBRM Health Care Redevelopment Project also includes the building of a new school, modern community health centre and long-term care home in New Waterford, a new community health centre, long-term care home and laundry centre in North Sydney and an expansion of the Glace Bay Hospital's emergency department and surgical services.
Once completed, the regional's new emergency department will be double its present size, as will the new Cape Breton Cancer Centre. And, the new critical care department will be three times as large as it is now and will have the intensive care, coronary care and intermediate care units all under one roof.