New hospital on the way for Surrey but shovels won’t be in the ground until 2021 at the earliest

It’s the second hospital Surrey has been promised for years.

On Monday, Premier John Horgan announced plans for the facility after a transfer of land in Cloverdale beside the Kwantlen Polytechnic University campus at 5500 180 St.

The project is now moving into the business-planning phase and still doesn’t have a price tag.

“This is a great day for people in Surrey as we are delivering a new hospital in the community,” Horgan said.

“Surrey is a fast-growing community and people will be able to count on better health care close to home for generations to come with the approval of this project.”

The new Surrey hospital will have inpatient beds, an emergency department, operating rooms, laboratory and diagnostic services, and outpatient services.

Horgan didn’t want to set a time table for construction but says the business development phase should take about a year. He said the expectation is construction could start by fall 2021 but could also not happen until 2022.

Upon approval of the business plan, the project will proceed to procurement and then construction. Community participation will take place in the months ahead for people to engage in the planning process.

“We are now all systems go for a second hospital in Surrey,” Minister of Health Adrian Dix said.

“The premier promised the City of Surrey a new hospital and today, we are delivering on that promise. This is a key commitment to help meet the health care needs of Surrey’s rapidly growing community.”

WATCH: The politics of new hospitals

2:08 The politics of new hospitals

As the second-largest city in British Columbia, Surrey is on pace to overtake Vancouver as the most populous city in the province by 2041. According to the province, emergency room visits in Surrey are expected to increase from approximately 153,000 in 2016-17 to around 221,000 in 2026-27.

“The new hospital in Surrey allows us to re-envision how health services can meet the demands of this fast-growing and diverse community with an expansion of services and the incorporation of virtual health-care services that go beyond the walls of the hospital,” Fraser Health CEO Victoria Lee said.

“The new site will complement the care provided by Surrey Memorial Hospital and the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre and together, the three sites will offer quality patient care for a range of care needs.”