Update on region's new hospital site selection process expected in May

The committee looking to select asite for the region's new hospital is expected to give a publicupdate to the process in May.

A spokesperson for the Building the Future of Care Together Committee told CBC News the project is on track and the site selection panel has made their recommendations to the committee.

"We cannot share any further information at this time to protect the integrity and fairness of where we are currently in the process,"Kara Weilersaid in a statement Wednesday.

In April 2022, the Ontario government announced it had approved a $5-million grant to build the new hospital.

Five possible sites were submitted to the site selection panel in November and three locations have been short-listed since then. The final decision on the site will be up to the two hospitals involved.

The new hospital is a joint venture between Grand River Hospital and St. Mary's General Hospital. The project includes the construction of a new hospital, as well as the modernization of existing hospitals in the region.

Once the new hospital is built, initial plans are to repurpose Grand River's midtown Kitchener-Waterloo campus into an ambulatory and urgent care centre. Plans are also in place to expand the Freeport campus for more rehabilitation services.

The new hospital is expected to become operational in 2034-2035.

You can read more coverage about the new hospital: