The Nanaimo cancer centre slated for completion in 2028 is one step closer, as a request for proposals has been sent out for the construction manager position.
"What we're talking about in the Nanaimo area itself is about 1,000 people who have to go to Victoria … and sometimes to Vancouver for radiation therapy," said Adrian Dix, B.C. minister of health, in a press conference Wednesday, June 19, announcing that the timeline is going as planned. "This cancer centre is a critical project in Nanaimo and for everyone involved in the community."
The $289-million centre is planned to be three storeys and will be built next to the hospital’s ambulatory care building. It will have a PET/CT diagnostic scanner and an oncology ambulatory care unit with 12 exam rooms and four consultation rooms. The lower level will contain four “linear accelerator vaults” that contain radiation equipment. The project is anticipated to include 16 treatment bays, private consultation rooms, a medication room and support space. In a press release, the province said that cancer care delivered through the clinic will include oral and intravenous cancer treatment, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and hormonal therapy. The clinic will also provide initial consultation and treatment planning with a medical oncologist, supportive care, follow-up care and patient education.
The centre itself is funded by the province, with additional amenities being funded by the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation.
Leah Hollins, Island Health board chairperson, called the hiring of a construction manager an important milestone.
“For such a complex and important project, it is vital we work with a construction firm with the experience and talent to deliver," Hollins said in the press release. “Moving to RFP for a construction manager marks an important milestone in our commitment to improving health outcomes for people affected by cancer on central and northern Vancouver Island.”
Upgrades to NRGH have also been approved, such as a new single-storey addition to the ambulatory care building that will be home to a new community oncology network clinic and expanded pharmacy.
An additional 164 new parking spaces will be added with a two-storey parkade next to the cancer centre as well as stalls in a nearby lot.
Submissions for the position are due July 15 and will be evaluated by Island Health and B.C. Cancer. The successful candidate is planned to be chosen by August, with construction anticipated to begin in summer 2025.