The Ottawa Hospital New Campus Development - Phase 3 (Central Utility Plant) and Phase 4 (Hospital)

Project Summary and Objectives:

The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) is building a new campus that will become home to one of the largest, most modern, technologically advanced, and accessible academic research hospitals in Canada. https://newcampusdevelopment.ca/

The New Campus Development (NCD) will be built on a 20-hectare site southwest of the intersection of Carling Avenue and Preston Street near Dow's Lake in Ottawa, Ontario. 

The NCD will include a state-of-the-art facility with the most advanced trauma centre in Eastern Ontario and one of the most innovative neuroscience research programs in the world. 

Due to the project's size, the NCD is being approved in phases.  To date, project development and approval phases have included:

  • Phase 1: Master Site Plan
  • Phase 2: Parking Garage and Green Roof
  • Phase 3: Central Utility Plant (CUP)
  • Phase 4: Main Hospital Building

Phase 3 and 4:

The planning and design of Phase 3 (Central Utility Plant - CUP) and Phase 4 (Main Hospital Building) is currently underway. The Phase 3 and 4 Project Area is approximately 13.88 hectares in size and occupies the southwest portion of the TOH Lease Area. To support the new campus, additional work off-site on lands owned by Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada will be required for the relocation of existing municipal services that are currently situated on the Hospital Leased Lands as well as intersection works at the site's driveway with Prince of Wales Drive.

The Central Utility Plant (Phase 3) is critical infrastructure required to service the main Hospital building during construction and operation and must be built prior to the construction of the main Hospital building. The Central Utility Plant will be in the western portion of the Project Area.  The Central Utility Plant is proposed to be sunken into the landscape below the grade of Maple Drive to minimize vertical encroachment on adjacent land uses. The proposed design includes landscaping and landscape buffers, parking areas, loading areas, cooling towers and exhaust stacks.

The Hospital (Phase 4) will be constructed following the Central Utility Plant. The main Hospital building will include approximately 155,000 square meters of gross floor area, configured via a two-story podium and two towers. The main Hospital building will include state-of-the-art outpatient, inpatient, diagnostic and treatment facilities and the integration of research and education. Significant landscaping and universal accessibility considerations have been applied to the overall design.  The main Hospital building will include a helipad on the roof of the south tower which will replace the existing helipad located within the CEF across from the current Civic Campus on Carling Avenue.

Works associated with the Central Utility Plant and main Hospital building are expected to take place in phases as generally outlined below. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2024.

Stage

Construction Activities

Pre-Construction
  • Contractor mobilization and establishment of site office
  • Installation of site security fencing/hoarding
  • Clearing of vegetation
  • Construction of temporary service roads and driveway connection to Prince of Wales Drive
  • Preparation of construction staging and laydown areas
  • Survey and layout of excavation extent (Phase 3/4)
  • Stripping of topsoil and rock excavation (as required)
  • Survey and layout of services and Central Utility Plant
  • Relocation of existing services (storm, sanitary, water)
  • Installation of new services (on and off-site)
  • Construction of retaining walls
  • Road E and Prince of Wales Drive intersection and improvements

Construction of the Central Utility Plan
  • Construction of Central Utility Plant
  • Interior fit-up including electrical and mechanical systems
  • Testing and commissioning

Construction of the Hospital
  • Clearing of vegetation
  • Preparation of construction staging and laydown areas
  • Survey and layout of excavation extent of Hospital and associated infrastructure
  • Construction of temporary construction/service roads
  • Installation of new services and any required modifications to the Dow's Lake Outlet
  • Construction of the Hospital building
  • Construction of Road A and Main Entrance Plaza
  • Construction of associated surface parking areas, walkways and pathways
  • Construction of Highline and connection to Hospital including envelopes and mechanical and electrical infrastructure, and architectural finishes
  • Interior fit up including electrical and mechanical infrastructure and architectural components and finishes
  • Exterior landscaping
  • Testing and commissioning of systems
  • Demobilization at end of all construction

Operation
  • Outpatient, inpatient, diagnostic, treatment facilities and emergency services (land and air)
    • Includes a nuclear medicine program
  • Equipment maintenance and servicing
  • Regular and seasonal site and landscape maintenance

 

Federal Authorities:

The project is subject to Sections 81 to 91 of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA).  Public Services and Procurement Canada, National Capital Commission, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Transport Canada are acting as federal authorities completing the Environmental Effects Determination (EED) for this project under the IAA, as required.

 

The following paragraphs describe why each custodian is a federal authority under Sections 81-91 of the IAA and outlines their responsibilities.

 

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC):

The project is located mainly on lands under PSPC custodianship which have been leased to TOH.  PSPC must make an EED to allow the project to proceed.

National Capital Commission (NCC):

The NCC is responsible for providing a Federal Land Use, Design and Transaction Approval (FLUDTA) under the National Capital Act.  The NCC must make an EED to allow the project to proceed.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC):

Some off-site project work may be completed on adjacent land under AAFC custodianship. AAFC may have future responsibilities reviewing the off-site works associated with the relocation the existing services and the intersection modifications at Prince of Wales Drive.

Transport Canada (TC):

The Canadian Aviation Regulations, Part III, Subpart 5 - Heliports (CAR 305) requires that the Minister of Transport issue a heliport certificate before the heliport may be operated.

 

Other Authorities

The City of Ottawa:

The City of Ottawa is a municipal approval authority for this project through the Site Plan Control process as well as for intersection works.

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC):

The CNSC will have oversight of the hospital's proposed nuclear medicine program when the hospital is in operation. A license under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act will be required and the program will undergo regulatory review by CNSC staff prior to operation. For more information on the CNSC's licensing process and how nuclear substances or facilities are regulated, please visit the CNSC's website. 

Parks Canada:

Parks Canada has jurisdiction over Dow's Lake as part of the Rideau Canal and has a review role with respect to surface water quality protection and cultural heritage resource impacts.

 

Key Considerations:

Through community engagement, the following factors are included in project design and considered in the EED:

  • Tree Conservation and Tree Compensation Strategy:
    • The goal is to preserve the natural landscape as much as possible. The proposed site design will ensure many mature trees on the site are preserved.  Some trees have been and will need to be removed and are done so through tree preservation and landscape plans which was developed with input by partners and arborists. TOH has worked closely with First Nations, Métis and Inuit partners to honour the trees removed and timber has been set aside from some of those trees for future use.
  • Sustainable Development:
  • The Ottawa Hospital is committed to environmental responsibility and sustainability. The new campus will be designed to have a lower carbon footprint, use less energy and water, and produce less waste than the existing facility. Thoughtful landscaping around the hospital will encourage native plant species and native pollinators.

 

Public Consultation:

The Master Site Plan and Phase 2 received significant public interest and input through public engagement activities carried out by TOH and during the municipal development review process. Further public consultation has been carried out as part of the Phase 3 and 4 Site Plan Control Application to the City of Ottawa and responses to public feedback received are identified as an application requirement through the NCC's Federal Approval process.

For additional information, please refer to the following:

More

Latest update

April 3, 2024  – The NCC, PSPC, AAFC and TC issued its Notice of Determination and determined that the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

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Key documents

Key documents
Document Number Document Title File Date
2 Notice of Determination - April 3, 2024

Contacts

National Capital Commission
Environmental Assessment
40 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5A8
Email: IA-EI@ncc-ccn.ca


  • Location

    • 903 Carling Avenue (Ontario)

  • Nature of Activity

    • Building and Property Development

  • Assessment Status

    Completed

  • Start Date

    2023-10-18

  • Proponent

    The Ottawa Hospital

  • Authorities

    • National Capital Commission

  • Assessment Type

    Project on federal lands

  • Reference Number

    86019
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