Construction set to begin on parkade at Regina General Hospital

Construction on the long-awaited parkade at Regina’s General Hospital is poised to begin.

The Saskatchewan government announced in March of 2020 that it was instructing the Saskatchewan Health Authority to examine the feasibility of building a parkade at the hospital.

That came after years of complaints about the parking situation at the facility, so the news of the planning was greeted with relief by many people who work at the hospital or were visiting patients.

On Tuesday, the government announced Regina-based Link Developments Ltd. had been chosen from among four teams to construct and maintain the new parkade.

Construction is slated to begin this month and is expected to be done by the end of 2024.

A government media release said the new parkade will be built in the northwest corner of the existing visitor parking lot. The proposed design includes a total of 1,005 stalls, with 873 of them in the parkade and another 132 surface stalls. That means a net increase of 686 parking stalls from the current situation.

However, during the construction, stalls that currently exist won’t be available to drivers.

“This milestone is significant in addressing the challenges encountered by residents, staff and other users of the Regina General Hospital parkade facility,” SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister Joe Hargrave said in a media release. “Our commitment remains unwavering as we strive to deliver accessible and convenient infrastructure for the benefit of all Saskatchewan residents.”

“Our government is very pleased to have a construction team in place for the new parkade at Regina General Hospital,” Health Minister Everett Hindley added. “We have heard the concerns of staff and visitors to the hospital. This parkade will provide a safe, convenient option for parking for years to come.”

Initial surveying of the site in June of last year found “anomalies” under the ground, which forced an excavation of the area. That turned up structural debris and old building materials, including brick, ceramic, fieldstone, glass and mortar.

The procurement process then continued, with Link Developments Ltd. selected to build the new facility.

According to the government, Link Developments Ltd. recently built the Eastgate Centre — Medical Professional Building with a heated parkade in Regina, and the University of Saskatchewan stadium parkade and the Avenue P Medical office building in Saskatoon.

“Our dedicated team of local consultants and contractors, in partnership with Cornerstone Credit Union, is grateful for the opportunity to construct this parkade for our community,” Link Development spokesperson Carmen Lien said in the release.

“Understanding the eager anticipation surrounding the necessity of this parkade, we are thrilled to bring this long-awaited project to life, serving our neighbours and families in Regina with heartfelt pride.”