The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is on the lookout for a new home.
The lease at the current location at 1005 Ouellette Ave is set to expire at the end of 2023.
Judy Lund with the Project Governance Committee says a space/needs study is currently underway which will be followed by a site selection in the summer.
She says needs have changed over the past few years.
"There's been a number of changes," she says. "The concept of what type of space we're going to need since COVID, workshare, increased dental programs and other things. So they were took all those things and met with the leadership and came back to the Project Governance Committee."
Lund says they'll spend the spring looking at possible locations.
"Phase 2 will start March 2022," says Lund. "We'll be going through the site selection process, looking for expression of interest to build to suit or renovate the office space. We'll be looking at that this spring and coming back to the board with recommendations in July."
She adds there's a lot of work to be done.
"It's a tight timeframe, but the staff are confident and the Project Governance Committee is confident that we can meet the timelines," she says. "As we move into Phase 4 at the end of next year when we'll be moving, again, the times are tight, but we're expected to be able to meet all the requirements as we move along."
Lund says the health unit hopes to begin construction, whether it be a new build or a retro-fit, by September.
That phase is expected to take a year with a plan to move into the new location between October and December 2023.