New year, new construction at VGH
The Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre (JRSFHC) is about to embark on the next phase of development. Construction of the new mental health and addictions (MH&A) facility on the VGH campus will begin in January 2015.
“This milestone comes after years of consultation and planning with clients, families, physicians and staff,” says Laura Case, chief operating officer, Vancouver Community. “At long last we’ll begin to see our dreams take shape and provide hope for those living with mental-illness and substance-use challenges.”
Construction of the JRSFHC will take place on the site of the former Willow Chest Centre. EllisDon, awarded the design-build contract, will take control of the site January 5. As with all construction, building our new facility will lead to disruptions. We ask drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to take note of the following.
Vehicle parking options
Effective January 5, 2015, more than 50 parking stalls will be displaced from the VGH inner courtyard (please refer to map). Courtyard passholders may still park in any of the remaining stalls reserved for passholders, and some visitor stalls will remain in place, but parking in the courtyard will be limited. Please consider the following parking alternatives:
- VGH 12th Avenue Parkade
- Gordon and Leslie Diamond Heath Care Centre Parkade (non-reserved stalls)
These parkades have sufficient space to accommodate staff, clinicians and visitors, and additional arrangements aren’t required for use; simply show your courtyard parking hanger to the parking booth attendant when exiting.
Bicycle parking options
The bicycle cage located behind Centennial Pavilion must be removed to accommodate construction activities. Options for cyclists include:
- bike cage located in the 12th Avenue Parkade
- bike cage in front of Centennial Pavilion on the lower level
- VGH Cycling Centre (monthly fee applies)
A sign of safety
To protect everyone’s safety, the construction zone will be fenced off, restricting parking access and pedestrian walkways between Centennial Pavilion, Heather Pavilion and Blusson. Signage will be placed throughout the inner courtyard area so staff and visitors know how to get to where they need to go and do so safely.
Give yourself more time if travelling down 10th Avenue, as construction may result in traffic delays. Cyclists and pedestrians should be extra alert when crossing or riding on 10th Avenue once construction begins, as there will be an increase in the amount of large trucks on this street.
We recognize that major construction projects can be noisy and inconvenient, and we thank you for your patience and understanding as we build our much anticipated place of healing for mental health and addictions clients. More information will be provided in the coming weeks.
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