St. Joseph's pitches $1.2-billion hospital tower to tackle hallway medicine

St. Joseph's Healthcare plans a nearly $1.2-billion redevelopment at Charlton Campus that would add a 10–12‑storey tower and 128 beds, and is seeking at least $5 million in provincial planning funding this spring.

St. Joseph's Healthcare has proposed a nearly $1.2‑billion redevelopment at its Charlton Campus to add a new multi‑storey tower and 128 beds. The plan also includes 24 new kidney dialysis stations at the King Campus in Stoney Creek. Hospital president Mike Heenan has requested at least $5 million in provincial planning funding this spring. Hospital leaders say the project is intended to address hallway medicine and replace aging shared rooms and infrastructure. Key details: - The plan would decommission the 63‑year‑old Sister Mary Grace Wing and build a 10‑to‑12‑storey tower at Charlton Avenue East and John Street South where the Marian and Martha wings now stand. - The tower would add 128 beds to the downtown hospital and would house services such as general medicine, respirology, thoracic and lung care, bariatric medicine and surgery, cancer surgery, kidney transplant and renal care, an intensive care unit, and nuclear medicine and diagnostics. - Design features would include private rooms, enlarged bathrooms, enhanced HVAC systems and clinical teaching space. - Hospital officials say current shared rooms and very small bathrooms (about 12 sq. ft. versus an industry standard of 65 sq. ft.) make infection prevention and control difficult; the hospital reports closing 49 beds in one week during flu season for infection‑control reasons, which contributed to more hallway medicine in the emergency department. - St. Joseph's says it typically takes seven to 10 years to build new hospitals after a planning grant is issued; Heenan told budget consultations he will ask for a planning grant this spring and will pursue the next round in the fall if needed. - The community share requirement is substantial: communities must provide 10% of construction costs and 100% of furniture, fixtures and equipment, which the article notes can amount to roughly 30% of the total bill — more than $350 million for a project of this scale. Summary: If the project and planning grant proceed, hospital leaders say the new tower would shorten the time patients wait to be moved from the emergency department, reduce length of stay and diagnostic waits, and improve privacy, infection control and worker safety. The immediate next step is a provincial decision on the requested planning grant this spring; hospital officials say they will reapply in the fall if the grant is not approved. Community fundraising and the required local share remain key factors in how and when the redevelopment could move forward.