ldoto
June 14th, 2005, 06:55 AM
The city will resume ownership of the land the hospital sits on when it closes for good in 2008.
A high-end residential development may be built on what is now the South Street hospital site, say city officials.
The London Health Sciences Centre must return the land to the city, without buildings on it, when the hospital is eventually closed and the city has plans for the site, said Controller Russ Monteith.
"When the hospital came to us asking for money it was decided then we would get the land back without buildings on it," said Monteith.
"Those buildings have served their use. It is cheaper to demolish them and build new."
But the 64-year-old building is filled with asbestos and negotiations are ongoing as to whether to clean the buildings or demolish them before the land is handed back to the city, added another city official who declined to be named.
"The cleanup of that site is the real problem. There is a lot of asbestos and it will cost in the millions to get rid of it," said the official.
The hospital is looking to the provincial government to help pay for the cleanup or demolition of those buildings before the city takes it over, he added.
"The buildings are not worth the price of the cleanup and the hospital just wants to walk away from it."
When the hospital received city funding to help pay for its restructuring costs, a deal was struck then to hand the land, without buildings on it, back to the city, and the LHSC has little to say as to what will happen to the land, said Monteith.
"We are looking at a number of things for that, and residential is one of the considerations," said Monteith.
"That would change the whole area."
The 3.6-hectare site backs on to the Thames River and would be ideal for a residential development which may rejuvenate the whole south core area, added Monteith.
Yesterday, the LHSC shut down its South Street emergency department, moving it, and others, to Victoria hospital at Commissioners and Wellington roads. The hospital will keep some offices and services in the South Street site until 2008. The city owns the land and the hospital owns the buildings.
"We would love to see something exciting for the city of London, to help rejuvenate that part of the city," said Tony Dagnone, president and chief executive of the London Health Sciences Centre.
"It has huge potential as to what legacy we will leave for the next generation."
Copyright © The London Free Press
A high-end residential development may be built on what is now the South Street hospital site, say city officials.
The London Health Sciences Centre must return the land to the city, without buildings on it, when the hospital is eventually closed and the city has plans for the site, said Controller Russ Monteith.
"When the hospital came to us asking for money it was decided then we would get the land back without buildings on it," said Monteith.
"Those buildings have served their use. It is cheaper to demolish them and build new."
But the 64-year-old building is filled with asbestos and negotiations are ongoing as to whether to clean the buildings or demolish them before the land is handed back to the city, added another city official who declined to be named.
"The cleanup of that site is the real problem. There is a lot of asbestos and it will cost in the millions to get rid of it," said the official.
The hospital is looking to the provincial government to help pay for the cleanup or demolition of those buildings before the city takes it over, he added.
"The buildings are not worth the price of the cleanup and the hospital just wants to walk away from it."
When the hospital received city funding to help pay for its restructuring costs, a deal was struck then to hand the land, without buildings on it, back to the city, and the LHSC has little to say as to what will happen to the land, said Monteith.
"We are looking at a number of things for that, and residential is one of the considerations," said Monteith.
"That would change the whole area."
The 3.6-hectare site backs on to the Thames River and would be ideal for a residential development which may rejuvenate the whole south core area, added Monteith.
Yesterday, the LHSC shut down its South Street emergency department, moving it, and others, to Victoria hospital at Commissioners and Wellington roads. The hospital will keep some offices and services in the South Street site until 2008. The city owns the land and the hospital owns the buildings.
"We would love to see something exciting for the city of London, to help rejuvenate that part of the city," said Tony Dagnone, president and chief executive of the London Health Sciences Centre.
"It has huge potential as to what legacy we will leave for the next generation."
Copyright © The London Free Press