The recommended location for the new acute care hospital for Windsor-Essex is south of County Road 42, in the area of Concession 9 and Lauzon Road.

The large facility will encompass 1.6 million square feet.

“This has to be a regional hospital that services the needs of Windsor-Essex," says Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj.

The location is within the Windsor limits, but much closer to Essex County than any of Windsor's current hospitals.

"A lot of people say, ‘Let's look at London,’ while London 90 per cent of their population is in the city of London and only 10 per cent is in Middlesex,” says Musyj. “What's unique for Windsor-Essex is it's very close to 50/50."

Musyj says an environment assessment has already taken place and officials are planning for development.

 

He says the new hospital site will require widening of both County Road 42 and Lauzon Road. He says it will also require adding public transit routes.

Windsor Regional Hospital's Met campus will be demolished when the new hospital and urgent care centre open.

Mayor Drew Dilkens says the community is required by the province to raise ten per cent of the total cost for major infrastructure projects like this.

So with a budget of $2 billion, Windsor-Essex will have to raise $200 million.

There will also be multiple satellite sites involved. On Thursday, Windsor Regional Hospital officials will take the media on a five-hour tour to explain how services will be provided between the sites. 

One of those sites will be the old Grace Hospital location, which will become an urgent care centre.

 

Co-chairs of the program and services steering, Musyj and Dave Cooke, will introduce more details on the plan for the future of healthcare delivery in the region on Thursday.

Officials say it will enhance local healthcare by creating a seamless, integrated and accessible healthcare system.

More than 20 properties from across Windsor and Essex County were submitted for consideration last year, after a Request for Proposals was issued.

A volunteer site selection subcommittee, made up of 10 community members, shortened the list of possible locations to “no more than five properties” in March.

The other locations were not disclosed.