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The Saskatchewan government is taking the next step toward a new long-term care home for Regina.
On Thursday, the government announced it had issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a team to design and build the specialized facility.
“We are pleased to see this project underway and progress being made to increase long-term care beds in Regina,” Tim McLeod, the province’s minister for mental health and addictions, seniors and rural and remote health, said in a release.
“Our government is committed to providing the best care for residents of Saskatchewan and this new facility will be a wonderful new home to many in need of specialized care.”
The announcement came one day after a group of individuals were at the Legislature to protest the upcoming closure of the Regina Lutheran Home. That facility houses 62 long-term care beds.
The proposed new facility is to feature 240 specialized long-term care beds to support people with dementia, complex behavioural needs and other conditions requiring specialized care.
According to the government, the planned multi-storey building would have individual rooms with en-suite bathrooms, as well as indoor and outdoor multi-purpose spaces.
The facility is to be built on land located south of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Regina Campus. The land already is owned by the provincial government.
“Our government is proud of this investment that will build capacity in the long-term care system and protect the quality of life for seniors,” SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister Joe Hargrave said in the release. “A new specialized long-term care facility is needed in Regina and we are pleased to see procurement underway.”
The project would be a Progressive Design Build, which would allow the government to sign a contract with one team to design and build the facility.
The release said the deal would have what it called an “off-ramp” if the government and the designer can’t agree on a price for the construction portion after the design is done.
“If that occurs, the completed design is government’s property, and government reserves the ability to procure a new contractor to provide the construction services,” the release said.
The RFQ is slated to close Nov. 15. More information about it can be found here.
Companies that are shortlisted during the RFQ process would move on to the second stage of procurement for the project, a Request for Proposals (RFP). That’s expected to open in December.
