A portion of the Hospital Commons property south of Nanaimo hospital is slated for re-development. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

significant overhaul

Large restaurant, housing envisioned as part of redevelopment proposal near Nanaimo hospital

Sep 15, 2022 | 5:29 AM

NANAIMO — Drastic redevelopment plans across the street from NRGH aims to add supportive services for medical professionals and the general public.

A development permit application submitted to City Hall proposes to build a four storey building as part of the existing Hospital Commons commercial development on Boundary Cres. at Dufferin Cres.

Donna Hais, project manager and owner of the development, told a recent design advisory panel meeting phase one of their redevelopment plans for the property involves a ground level restaurant with housing above.

“They are twelve one bedroom units which are specifically geared to locums and nursing staff and residents who are coming to work at the hospital,” Hais said.

Rendering of a proposed restaurant and residential units as part of a four-storey redevelopment project on the corner of Boundary and Dufferin. (City of Nanaimo)

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Bolstering the Nanaimo hospital care campus would see an existing dance studio demolished on the northwest portion of the property.

Hais emphasized ancillary services are desperately needed to service the area, pointing to challenges in recruiting medical professionals working at NRGH in a tight housing market.

She said they have been working closely with Island Health on their plans.

The licensed restaurant won’t be a franchise operation where breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served for people of all ages, Hais noted.

“People coming to the hospital right now for someone in palliative they come as families, they bring children, so we need somewhere for those people to be able to eat.”

Sit-down meals, a pizza oven and grab-and-go sandwiches are envisioned for the restaurant.

The project is only one aspect of a complete overhaul of the Hospital Commons property at 1588 Boundary Cres.

In the future the existing storey commercial buildings and existing parking lot are planned to be torn down, including the longstanding Windward Pub.

A medical hospital is planned in a future phase on the property’s southern half.

“Which will be specifically geared to when our cancer centre moves to Nanaimo and as our hospital tower expands we’re in desperate need of hotel rooms for the people who are being sent here for care, so that’s a future development,” Hais said.

Notably a parking variance request from 72 required spaces to none is included in the restaurant/housing application.

The applicant intends to addresses the parking shortfall in future phases on the site, namely parking beneath the hotel.

Advisory panel members were largely supportive of the project with a pair of minor aesthetic recommendations made.

The project, which requires development and building permit approvals, has yet to be viewed by City Council.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes