Plans for Hillsborough Hospital replacement going to public consultation

Plans for a new mental health and addictions campus, including the replacement of Hillsborough Hospital, took a step forward Monday night.

Charlottetown council agreed to take the project to public consultation as part of a rezoning application.

The plan presented to council includes a new two-storey mental health and addictions acute-care facility, an addictions and recovery centre, and 10 additional buildings which would be a mix of residential and commercial uses.

"This is a big plan and when I first saw it I said 'wow,this is going to be quite an addition to medical and mental health services on Prince Edward Island but a huge development for the city of Charlottetown in that northeastern part of the city," said Mayor Philip Brown.

Parking lot facing water

The current plan has the parking lot and loading bays facing the water, which was flagged by planning board staff as as a potential issue.

The mayor stressed that at this point these are conceptual drawings only.

In November 2018, the province announced a five-year, $100-million plan to improve mental health. Last year, the government said it wanted to expedite that plan, in hopes to complete the project within three years.

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