Local hospital officials are keeping their fingers crossed in the new year for the province to approve the next stage in the acute care hospital project in Windsor-Essex.
Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj says he is hoping to hear from the province sooner rather than later on the approval to move to Stage 2 of the $2-billion project.
Stage 2 would include developing a detailed description of the programs to be delivered, the workload with those programs, staffing, equipment and space needed.
Musyj is hoping to hear something no later than the spring budget.
"We have to keep an eye on some other projects in the province Niagara, Ottawa and a substantial renovation in Mississauga of about $1-billion. All of those are at about the same spot we are especially Mississauga and Niagara," says Musyj. "If they move ahead to stage 2 before us, that's going to be a problem."
He says city and county councils took a huge step in 2016 in supporting the project and beginning the process to raise the 10% local share.
Windsor and Essex County Councils approved raising $200-million for the project which includes the acute care hospital on County Road 42 and the 9th Concession, along with a new Urgent Care Centre at the former Grace Hospital site, and renovations to the Tayfour Campus and Ouellette Campus.