One Redevelopment Project, Two New Sites

A site selection process for the South Muskoka site is part of this stage of planning in line with the Ministry of Health’s Site Search Capital Planning Bulletin Guidelines. These guidelines set minimum requirements for land, including size and access.  Other factors such as  environmental regulations, access to services like water and sewer and electricity, public transportation, and travel distances to other health service providers are also important considerations.  A comprehensive and transparent engagement process with our communities ensures  the most appropriate piece of land is selected for a future hospital in Bracebridge.  

From more than 20 initial properties, five were determined to meet the minimum land requirements to be considered. The five properties that were evaluated were 300 Pine Street, 1975 Muskoka Beach Road, Highway 118 West lands located between 580 and 690 Highway 118 West, 709 Ecclestone Drive, and 28-72 Kirkhill Drive.

We anticipate a final decision by the Board of Directors on the preferred site will occur in the fall of 2023.

Evaluation of Viable Locations

The five properties were evaluated and scored against a number of criteria related to property/location, land use planning framework, and capital and servicing costs.  Community feedback validated previous criteria and influenced additional and revised criteria, including access by foot and bicycle in addition to access by car and public transit. We also heard that proximity to downtown Bracebridge was important both for accessibility reasons, but also because there are benefits associated with locating a major institution in the downtown core. Criteria related to environmental impacts were expanded to ensure protection of environmentally sensitive lands and natural landscapes, such as avoiding clearcutting of trees.

300 Pine Street

The 300 Pine Street property is 45 acres with frontage along Highway 11 (no existing access), and road access from Pine Street and potential access from Depot Drive. It is currently zoned Business Park Industrial and Special Purpose Commercial. The evaluation identified key strengths including its proximity to Highway 11 and downtown Bracebridge. An existing draft Environmental Site Assessment did not identify areas of potential environmental concern and did not recommend further study. The property has a relatively low land valuation based on a purchase and sale agreement the Town of Bracebridge has with the owner. Key challenges of the property include significant grade changes on the west portion of the site due to its previous use as a sand pit, which will also make future expansion and/or replacement of the hospital challenging. Significant upgrades to roads (extension/upgrades to Depot Drive and Pine Street, and a new street from the west) and to municipal infrastructure are also required, which is further complicated by grade changes. There would be a need to clear-cut trees, and the soil composition and location of bedrock may complicate foundation construction.

1975 Muskoka Beach Road

The 1975 Muskoka Beach Road property is 201 acres with frontage along Ecclestone Drive and Muskoka Beach Road and is zoned institutional. Only a 40-acre portion of the land (shown in the blue rectangle) would be required for a new hospital and there were no obvious environmental concerns identified based on this flat, cleared area directly across from the Muskoka Brewery, approximately200 metres away from the environmentally protected area. The evaluation identified key strengths including close proximity to Highway 11 and the southern part of catchment area, existing water/sewer services along the frontages, and a relatively low land valuation from appraisal. There are development opportunities adjacent to the site where the hospital would be located. Key challenges of the property include significant work and coordination for hydro-servicing and secondary road access, surrounding land use context, and limited accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists. Archaeological potential related to a historic homestead on the site will need to be investigated further.

Highway 118 West Lands

The Highway 118 West property is 79 acres of land that is zoned Residential and is located between 580 and 690 Highway 118 West, east of the Muskoka Hills Retirement Villa. The site is bisected by a seasonal creek with potential access from Salmon Avenue and subdivision to the south. The evaluation identified key strengths including its flat area and attractive setting for a hospital. Key challenges of the property including its distance from Highway 11 and that most people would need to travel through town to access it. There is a seasonal creek that would have to be crossed, and extensive servicing and road upgrades, as the hospital would need to be located on the portion of the property south of the creek. It has also been identified that the property is part of an area that is intended to support the Town of Bracebridge’s long-term residential growth. The land has a relatively high land valuation from appraisal.

709 Ecclestone Drive

The 709 Ecclestone Drive property is 47 acres along Ecclestone Drive zoned General Industrial adjacent to the Highway 11 and Highway 118 interchange. Key strengths from the evaluation are its flat area and good proportions, which makes laying out a hospital very efficient, as well as its proximity to Highway 11 and relatively low land valuation from appraisal. The evaluation identified key challenges including a lack of water and sewer servicing along frontages, no ability to provide a secondary vehicular access, and the neighbouring industrial uses that don’t support certain complementary uses. The property is in conflict with the Muskoka Airport flight path, which presents issues for the helipad.

28-72 Kirkhill Drive

28-72 Kirkhill Drive is a series of properties in an existing business park that make up 42 acres along Kirkhill Drive, connecting to Ecclestone Drive. Key strengths include its proximity to Highway 11, flat topography, and that it is a serviced site. The evaluation identified key challenges including its irregular shape and high land valuation from appraisal, the proximity of rail corridor and conflicts with the Muskoka Airport flight path. It also determined there is no ability to provide a secondary vehicular access, and the industrial uses that don’t support certain complementary uses.

Preferred Site & Other Suitable Locations

1975 Muskoka Beach Road scored the highest and following community engagement has been determined to be the preferred location based on the evaluation to date. Further investigation continues to ensure due diligence on some of the potential challenges identified, such as the nearby Muskoka Airport and rail corridor, and ongoing conversations with the Town of Bracebridge regarding infrastructure like servicing. Work will continue to validate the 1975 Muskoka Beach Road property’s suitability for a hospital with geotechnical and hydrogeological studies, cost estimates, environmental assessment, and site plan preparation, for example. The evaluation also determined that 300 Pine Street and the Highway 118 West lands are suitable for a hospital based on the criteria. More detailed analysis of the required municipal services for the three highest-ranked properties is underway to complete the evaluation because the servicing costs are part of the criteria for finalizing the preferred site. With respect to public transit and pedestrian access, efforts will continue toward solutions the course of the next several years.

Redevelopment Project Cost and Local Share

The work in this stage will help us to better understand the cost of the future builds.  We know that by the time we are at the stage of building the two new hospital sites, construction costs will have increased.  The preliminary order of magnitude from the earlier planning stages will be updated to be more current to today’s economy, the changed environment and effects as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before the Ministry of Health will agree to fund our project for the two new sites, we have to demonstrate the community’s ability to pay for its share of the new builds.  The Ministry of Health will pay for most of the actual construction of a new building.  The local community is expected to pay a share of the entire project, which can be up to 30% of the total project cost, including furnishings, fixtures and hospital equipment.  The raising of the local share is a key focus of MAHC and our two hospital foundations, and one that we are fully committed to working through collaboratively with local municipalities and the community at large.  If we are not able to commit to how the community will fund the local share, our project for two new hospital sites will not proceed.  Learn more about our work to refine the community share.

Examples of costs paid for by the community's share include:

• a portion of construction cost of hospital
• equipment and technology
• furnishings and fixtures
• construction of revenue-generating space (i.e. parking lots)
• any land/property required, and land alterations including site servicing
• financing costs

Governance and Structure

The MAHC Board of Directors has formed a Capital Redevelopment Steering Committee to provide governance oversight.  A Capital Redevelopment Operations Committee has also been established with members of MAHC’s Leadership Team, physician leaders, hospital foundation representatives and project consultants.  Their purpose is to work through the Stage 1.3 requirements, reporting to and making recommendations to the Board’s steering committee.  The user groups will be key to our work and our final submission and will include staff, physicians, volunteers, patients and families.  These groups will ensure we understand  what they will need and what services and spaces should look like.

Information Sharing and Consultation

Community engagement has been an essential part of the planning process to date.  Feedback from internal and external stakeholders has shaped our plan for two new sites.  There will be various ways that user input will continue to be obtained throughout this journey.  Our success will rely on integrating feedback and insights from community partners, patients and families, and our staff, physicians and volunteers.  We are committed to keeping our MAHC team and our greater community informed as we move forward.  Don't forget you can subscribe to any of our webpages to receive updates by email by clicking on the green banner below.

Community Information Sessions (April 2023)

MAHC was pleased to revisit our communities again in April with a series of in-person information sessions from April 17 to 20 and on April 22, and two virtual sessions on April 24 and 26.  At these sessions, we provided an update on the planning journey and our progress to date, reviewed the site selection process for a new location for the South Muskoka site, and presented the findings of the evaluation and the preliminary preferred property in Bracebridge.  Together with members of our project consulting team, a 30-minute presentation was provided using a slide deck, followed by a question and answer period.  Feedback at these sessions has been valuable to the project team and Board of Directors prior to final decision-making on a preferred new location.  Following the second round of community engagement, President and CEO Cheryl Harrison also wrote a CEO Blog on the topic. 

Community Open Houses (January 2023)

MAHC was pleased to host six in-person and two virtual open houses to connect with our communities.  A 30-minute presentation was provided using a slide deck and an information brochure was available.  Community members could tour large poster boards and engage in conversation and questions and answers with representatives from our project team and consultants, hospital foundations and auxiliaries, Board of Directors, and Patient Experience Partners.  MAHC looks forward to hosting a further round of community engagement to provide an update on the site selection process and progress on our Stage 1.3 deliverables.