BELLEVILLE - The Quinte Health Care Sills Wing construction project continues to move forward as contractors enter the final weeks before submitting bids.
Eight companies were prequalified to bid on the project in the spring. To understand the construction and schedule risks they are being asked to assume, bidder meetings have been taking place between Quinte Health Care (QHC), Infrastructure Ontario and the short listed companies. Due to the size and complexity of the project, a number of substantive questions were raised during the process.
Bidders have recently requested more time to prepare their submissions and perform added due diligence before submitting their bids. QHC and Infrastructure Ontario have granted an extension to September 20, 2006.
QHC and Infrastructure Ontario are confident that these few extra weeks will allow bidders to submit more competitively priced submissions. Construction is still scheduled to begin by the end of the year.
The Ontario government and Quinte Health Care are committed to moving this project forward to bring improved access to healthcare to the region.
QHC is a 331-bed hospital with four sites in Bancroft, Belleville, Picton and Trenton. It employs over 1,600 staff and over 200 doctors have active privileges. QHC serves in excess of 150,000 residents of Prince Edward and Hastings Counties, living in an area of 7,000 square kilometres.
Infrastructure Ontario is an arm's length Crown corporation dedicated to the renewal of the province's hospitals, courthouses, roads, bridges, water systems and other public assets. Using an Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) model that ensures appropriate public control and ownership, Infrastructure Ontario uses private financing to strategically rebuild vital infrastructure, on time and on budget.
Infrastructure Ontario also provides Ontario municipalities and universities with access to affordable loans to build and renew local public infrastructure. Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information.
Contacts:
Mark Burgess
Quinte Health Care
613-969-7400, Ext. 2331
Mary Lowe
Infrastructure Ontario
416-325-4856