Completion of Richmond Hospital redevelopment pushed back 2 years to 2033

Another major B.C. infrastructure project is facing a significant delay.

The province has pushed the timeline to complete the redevelopment of Richmond Hospital back from 2031 to 2033.

The delay, first reported by the Richmond News, was revealed in the province’s First Quarterly Report, released in September.

The report says the new target completion date is meant to align with a “revised project schedule.”

In June, the NDP government revealed the cost to redevelop the hospital had more than doubled, from the $861 million forecast in its 2020 business plan to $1.595 billion.

0:48 New tower at Richmond Hospital will be larger than planned

At the time, the Ministry of Health cited rising construction costs as the key driver of the ballooning sticker price.

“All of the projects have gone up in price over the last two years significantly. That’s true of all public and private sector projects and it’s true for hospitals,” then-health minister Adrian Dix said.

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In August, the ministry said it had shortlisted three companies bidding for work on Phase 2 of the project, building the 216-bed Yurkovich Family Pavillion.

Phase 1 of the four-phase project is currently underway.

The redevelopment includes a new acute care tower, a bigger emergency department, more operating rooms and an additional 113 hospital beds.