Media release: ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS CHOSEN FOR MARKHAM STOUFFVILLE HOSPITAL CAPITAL REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

TORONTO - Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal David Caplan and Michael Chan Minister of Revenue and MPP for Markham announced today that the Markham Stouffville Hospital project has taken an important step forward with the selection of two architecture firms, Bregman + Hamann and Perkins + Will (BH & PW) to lead the master planning and planning compliance design aspects of the capital redevelopment project.

"This marks another important milestone for the Markham Stouffville community," said Caplan. "The project is part of the government's five-year $30 billion plus infrastructure investment plan that represents the biggest investment in health care infrastructure in more than a generation."

Minister Caplan and Minister Chan were joined by Hospital President and CEO Janet M. Beed as well as hospital staff and local officials to announce the planning, design, compliance team during a sign unveiling event on hospital grounds.

"The level of growth in our community places pressure on our current health services and structures," said Chan. "We are pleased that our government recognizes this and is moving forward with the project. It is great news for the people of Markham and Stouffville.""This is a clear sign of the government's commitment to upgrade and modernize health care and is a positive step to moving forward to redevelop this hospital," echoed George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. "This investment by the McGuinty government will further improve the health services provided to Ontarians."

The compliance design teams will prepare key documents including the Site Master Plan, Block Diagrams and project specific design output specifications. These key documents will form the guidelines and parameters within which the successful building team must work when preparing the overall design.

"This announcement marks an early and significant step toward meeting the needs of our community. Our staff look forward to working with Infrastructure Ontario and BH & PW to put together the design specifications that will become the foundation planning documents to build our new facility," said Janet M. Beed, President and CEO, Markham Stouffville Hospital. "This is an exciting beginning for our staff and the Markham Stouffville community supporting this project."

Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will work with Markham Stouffville Hospital to expand and redevelop the hospital, which will remain publicly owned, publicly controlled and publicly accountable.

Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to managing some of the province's larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget.This project is guided by principles outlined in the Province's Building a Better Tomorrow framework, which ensures public ownership of core assets such as hospitals, schools, and water and wastewater facilities.

The Markham Stouffville Hospital expansion and redevelopment project is one of many infrastructure projects being upgraded and modernized under ReNew Ontario, the government's five-year, $30-billion plus infrastructure investment plan.

Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information.