A request for proposals has been issued for the former Colchester Regional Hospital and related facilities. The site has been vacant since November 2012.
As of last month, approximately $1,140,000 in maintenance and operational costs have been incurred related to things such as liability insurance, security, snow clearance, heating and power, Nova Scotia Health Authority spokeswoman Krista Wood said on Friday.
That includes costs related to boarding up the facility this summer.
The old hospital was vacated when the new Colchester East Hants Health Centre opened on November 25, 2012 and since then the authority has been attempting to dispose of the property.
As part of that effort, a new request for proposals (RFP) has been issued for the former hospital.
The RFP involves both the main Colchester Regional Hospital building and the Colchester Regional Hospital Annex.
The hospital was constructed in the mid-1960s and renovated and expanded in the mid-1980s. The annex, which also served as a previous hospital, was constructed in the mid-1920s.
The overall property encompasses approximately 11 acres of land and also includes a small facility adjacent to the road that houses a day care.
Wood said the facility and grounds are considered an asset of the health authority and under provincial legislation government approval is required to proceed with options such as the sale of the facility. The provincial government has provided direction to the RFP process and will work with health authority officials to consider recommendations resulting from the process.
“The Colchester Regional Hospital facility has served our communities well for many years and we are eager to reach a resolution for this site,” Rakesh Minocha, senior director, building infrastructure and asset management said, in a news release.
“Over the past couple of years a number of individuals and organizations have shared ideas for how the site could be used and we are hopeful that this formal process will lead to submissions from interested developers.”
