Stollery Children's Hospital

[Foolworm]

So the city has gone to great lengths to connect every hospital in the city to the LRT for a good reason. How about the hundreds of workers and visitors who go there every day?

They can also take the bus.

Obviously it would be ideal if a location near LRT was chosen, but the City doesn't really have a say in the matter. Between this and no hospital I'd pick the former any day.

Heck, maybe it'll convince the city to upgrade the SW BRT to LRT.

 

[yeggator]

By the way, the footprint of the future hospital is pretty similar to the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary, so that tells me that they very much do need and intend to use all that space. There likely won't be a compromise for the parcel size to bring it closer to the main campus and LRT.

 

[Greenspace]

2035 announcement, "The City of Edmonton is pleased to provide an LRT extension from South Campus to the new Stollery Children's Hospital. The extension will cost $2B and we're happy to pay for 100% of it!"

There will need to be good transit connections. All the medical residents from U of A will be travelling back and forth, doctors, profs, families. I gotta think they've thought of this but who knows.

 

[crisp]

Maybe a dumb question, but would maybe an Alberta doctor's association have had input into its location? Or the idea of attracting top talent been a factor? I've noticed in Calgary, Rockyview and Foothills both have some pretty impressive neighbourhoods with mansions adjacent to them. Have also heard Calgary's South health campus is struggling to attract doctors because doctors don't want to live way out there. Maybe top talent doctors will not want to live out in South Edmonton and with the space needed, this location is suitable and near Whitemud Ravine. There will definitely be some impressive homes popping up in Lansdowne and other adjacent neighbourhoods.

 

[SarcasticMarmot]

I can understand the location choice, but it's definitely rooted in suburban car centric thinking. A hospital does not need to spread out this much, you can build up instead of wide. The complaints in a few years are so predictable "Why do they charge for parking to visit sick kids, it's evil!" "Why is there not enough parking in the 6 acres of parking lots! It's always full!" " Why are the kids rooms forced to stare at pavement all day?" "The traffic is so bad, why doesn't the city build an 8 lane freeway straight to the hospital?"....

It's definitely an expedient choice, but a poor long term choice.

 

[constance_chlore]

Is there a plan to eventually move the U of A farm to another location? Between this and 240 West, they are losing ~3/4 of their arable land.

I would say more, uh, concepts of a plan. The Agriculture, Food, and Nutritional Sciences department was already not thrilled and I'm guessing they'll be quite unhappy with this announcement. I know some of the poultry researchers have been in talks with industry to build up a facility further out, but I think the adjustment is coming along in bits and pieces.

 

[David A]

I can understand the location choice, but it's definitely rooted in suburban car centric thinking. A hospital does not need to spread out this much, you can build up instead of wide. The complaints in a few years are so predictable "Why do they charge for parking to visit sick kids, it's evil!" "Why is there not enough parking in the 6 acres of parking lots! It's always full!" " Why are the kids rooms forced to stare at pavement all day?" "The traffic is so bad, why doesn't the city build an 8 lane freeway straight to the hospital?"....

It's definitely an expedient choice, but a poor long term choice.

Yeah, if you don't build in a place closer to and more accessible by LRT then most people will have to end up driving there.

It will need to have much more parking, which because it is adjacent to a hospital will probably be paid parking and likely will be quite full anyways.

So will the province cover 100% of the cost to extend the LRT here, when it becomes this predictable mess? This is a question that actually should be asked today by any journalist thinking ahead.

 

[Oilers99]

How about instead of everyone shitting on the announcement we recognize there has been a lot of work put in the background between the Province, the Foundation and its Board, Alberta Infrastructure and others to make this significant project a reality.

 

[David A]

Why couldn't it be built closer to the South Campus LRT, that would have made more sense?

 

[Gronk!]

How about instead of everyone shitting on the announcement we recognize there has been a lot of work put in the background between the Province, the Foundation and its Board, Alberta infrastructure and others to make this significant project a reality.

Nobody is shitting on this announcement, however the location is not very ideal.
I'm OK with the location, provided that there's an ETS shuttle between this hospital and the Southgate LRT station.

 

[Oilers99]

I will go with the people that actually have spent years making this project work rather than a bunch of internet posters screaming about ETS shuttles and the LRT on a $3B hospital.

 

[constance_chlore]

I will go with the people that actually have spent years making this project work rather than a bunch of internet posters screaming about ETS shuttles and the LRT on a $3B hospital.

Sorry but like, if there's a big infrastructure project that is bound to attract a lot of people, I think it's valid to ask how those people will get there. Especially given the provincial government's demonstrated history of botching big projects of all sorts.

 

[David A]

Nobody is shitting on this announcement, however the location is not very ideal.
I'm OK with the location, provided that there's an ETS shuttle between this hospital and the Southgate LRT station.

This is a major project and the building wherever located will have to serve people for many decades, so a lot of care should be put into choosing a site that works well for all the people it serves.

Or perhaps the Alberta government doesn't really give a damn about them and is trying to rush a site announcement right now for political reasons, after doing nothing for many years.

 

[SarcasticMarmot]

I will go with the people that actually have spent years making this project work rather than a bunch of internet posters screaming about ETS shuttles and the LRT on a $3B hospital.

I am very glad we are getting a new Stollery. The current one saved my Brother-in-Laws life and desperately needs expanding.
However, this is the government that planned the breakup of AHS on the back of a napkin with a "we'll figure it out later" approach. They botched lab services, and they cancelled an existing under construction hospital on a whim. No, I won't give them the benefit of the doubt and I think it's important to ask questions.

 

[_urbanite]

Sorry but like, if there's a big infrastructure project that is bound to attract a lot of people, I think it's valid to ask how those people will get there. Especially given the provincial government's demonstrated history of botching big projects of all sorts.

I'll go out on a limb here and say that most people who will use this hospital likely aren't going to take the LRT there, especially considering that this is going to serve all of Northern Alberta (and Western Canada frankly). People from places like Swan Hills, Lac La Biche or High Level are not concerned about whether this hospital has an LRT or ETS connection