Middlesex-London Health Unit to ask court to decide if it can move to Citi Plaza

The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) has announced where it wants its new main office in London to be, but getting there will be tricky.

Hours after the Middlesex-London board of health held a rare early morning meeting on Wednesday, medical officer of health Dr. Chris Mackie said they want to move their offices to the Citi Plaza at 355 Wellington St.

Currently, the health unit leases space at 50 King St. and 201 Queens Ave. in London and 51 Front St. E. in Strathroy. The Strathroy location wouldn’t be impacted by the move in London.

The health unit entered into a letter of intent on Jan. 15 to lease approximately 68,930 square feet at Citi Plaza.

For the health unit, the location of the plaza is key.

“It’s right near transit corridors, it has excellent parking options,” said Mackie. “As important as the location is, it really will help us meet our clients’ needs and our community’s needs.”

The new main office would also be a block away from the city’s Temporary Overdose Prevention Site (TOPS) which opened at 186 King St. less than a month ago.

When, or if, they move to the downtown plaza is unknown.

Middlesex County voted 6-4 on Tuesday against the proposed move and called on the province to appoint an assessor to investigate the decision-making process at the health unit.

Both Middlesex County and the city of London provide funding to the health unit and it’s unclear whether either can block a change of location. Middlesex County also owns the land at 50 King St. and currently serves as the health unit’s landlord.

Last month, city politicians in London voted in favour of the proposed move.

Mackie told Craig Needles on 980 CFPL the reluctance of the county to approve the move has been frustrating.

“It seems to be about the fact we’re asking them what to do too late in the process. To be honest, it’s hard to wrap my head around,” he said. “We had plenty of input from county residents. Over 300 people who live in Middlesex County participated early in the process to establish what the criteria is we should be looking for in a new facility.”

Mackie says they’ve committed to enhancing service in the county as part of the transition but there hasn’t been a willingness from the county to work with them.

With the county refusing to give its consent to the move, the health board says it will initiate an application in the Superior Court of Justice for a ruling to determine whether the consent of the health unit’s municipal partners is required for the proposed move.

The MLHU will seek to have the issue determined by the court at an early date in order to ensure that the opportunity to pursue the Citi Plaza lease will not be lost.

It’s anticipated the legal proceeding will start in the coming days.

It’s estimated it could take up to eight weeks for the judicial review to be completed.

While speaking at a news conference Wednesday morning, officials with the health board said they’ve tried mediation with the county to come to a conclusion but they were unsuccessful.

“We have pursued every possible course of action with our partners,” said Ian Peer, the provincial appointee to the health board. “Our process has been thorough, carefully considered, open and transparent; all the while we have been focused on how to best serve the needs of our clients and communities.”

The process of looking for a new home for MLHU began in 2015 when the county informed the health unit it wanted to redevelop the land at 50 King St. and potentially build a 28-storey apartment building. The county has since backed off that idea.