posting
01-26-2009, 11:10 PM
Should the City of Kingston continue to support the sale of the Chown Garage to Hotel Dieu hospital?
CHOWN GARAGE: IF YOU'RE AMONG THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO VISIT HOTEL DIEU HOSPITAL EVERY DAY -- YOU MAY FIND IT HARDER TO GET A PARKING SPOT.
CKWS-TV January 22, 2009
IF YOU'RE AMONG THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO VISIT HOTEL DIEU HOSPITAL EVERY DAY -- YOU MAY FIND IT HARDER TO GET A PARKING SPOT.
NEGOTIATIONS TO SELL THE CHOWN GARAGE HAVE STALLED.((Hutchins))
THE HOSPITAL WANTS TO BUY THE GARAGE, AND THEN EXPAND IT TO ACCOMMODATE MORE VISITORS.
AND TONIGHT, C-K-W-S NEWS HAS LEARNED HOW MUCH THE CITY STANDS TO COLLECT FROM THE SALE OF ITS BIGGEST PARKING STRUCTURE.
A BIGGER AND BETTER CHOWN PARKING GARAGE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BUILT BY NOW...
...ADDING 200 ABOVE-GROUND SPACES ON THIS VACANT LOT AT BROCK AND MONTREAL STREETS.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THE TIMETABLE HAS NOT WORKED OUT THAT WAY.
TED DARBY:
"THESE ARE COMPLEX PROJECTS THAT TAKE TIME."
THE VICE PRESIDENT OF PLANNING FOR LOCAL HOSPITALS SAYS 3-PARTY NEGOTIATIONS ARE STILL UNDERWAY BETWEEN THE HOSPITAL, THE CITY, AND A PRIVATE CONSORTIUM THAT'S PUTTING UP THE MONEY TO DESIGN, BUILD AND MANAGE THE EXPANDED PARKING GARAGE.
DARBY:
"WE ARE MOVING AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
BUT THESE DEALS NEED TO BE DONE PROPERLY AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER THAN ONE WOULD HOPE."
LAST YEAR, WHEN HOTEL DIEU APPROACHED CITY HALL ABOUT BUYING THE CHOWN GARAGE,...THERE WERE SKEPTICAL POLITICIANS WHO WANTED TO KNOW WHY THEY WERE BEING RUSHED INTO SELLING THE DOWNTOWN'S BIGGEST PUBLIC PARKING STRUCTURE.
BILL GLOVER
"THERE WAS ENORMOUS URGENCY."
BUILDINGS ON THE SITE WERE DEMOLISHED LAST SUMMER.
SINCE THEN, THE GARAGE EXPANSION HAS STALLED.
AND POLITICIANS ARE FEELING FRUSTRATED.
GLOVER:
"WE WERE TONGUE LASHED I MIGHT SAY THAT WE HAD TO GET ON WITH THIS... THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL BECAUSE CARS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PARKING IN COMPLETED GARAGE IN DECEMBER OF 2008.
AT THE END OF JANUARY 2009, I THINK IT'S PRETTY MUCH A HOLE IN THE GROUND."
WHAT POLITICIANS MAY NOT KNOW IS HOW MUCH THEY STAND TO COLLECT FROM SELLING THIS PARKING ASSET TO THE HOSPITAL.
WHILE THE DEAL HASN'T BEEN SEALED, A SENIOR OFFICIAL INVOLVED IN THE TALKS TOLD CKWS NEWS THE HOSPITAL IS WILLING TO PAY 4 MILLION DOLLARS TO BUY THE GARAGE OUTRIGHT -- AND WILL GIVE THE CITY MORE THAN 61-THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR IN A LONG-TERM LEASE OF THE LAND.
IT'S A BIG PRICE TO PAY.
BUT THE HOSPITAL SAYS ADDITIONAL PARKING IS CRUCIAL TO ITS EXPANDING ROLE AS A CLINICAL CARE CENTRE.
DARBY
" WE'RE CONSOLIDATING ACUTE AMBULATORY CARE AT THE HOTEL DIEU.
THAT WILL RESULT IN ADDITIONAL 50-THOUSAND VISITS.
WE OBVIOUSLY NEED MORE PARKING, SO WE'RE EXPANDING FROM 400 SPACES TO OVER 600"
BUT WHEN THAT MULTI-LEVEL EXPANSION WILL HAPPEN STILL ISN'T CLEAR.
DARBY SAYS IT COULD BE ANOTHER TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE SIGNED... BEFORE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS.
ALONG WITH MORE PARKING, THERE WILL BE A PEDESTRIAN SKYWALK OVER BROCK STREET THAT WILL CONNECT THE GARAGE TO THE HOSPITAL, PLUS A NEW BREAST CANCER SCREENING CLINIC.
DESPITE THE DELAYS, IT MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR CITY COUNCIL TO BACK OUT OF THE SALE, SINCE HEALTH CARE NEEDS ARE HIGH, AND SO ARE THE POTENTIAL PARKING PROFITS.
CHOWN GARAGE: IF YOU'RE AMONG THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO VISIT HOTEL DIEU HOSPITAL EVERY DAY -- YOU MAY FIND IT HARDER TO GET A PARKING SPOT.
CKWS-TV January 22, 2009
IF YOU'RE AMONG THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO VISIT HOTEL DIEU HOSPITAL EVERY DAY -- YOU MAY FIND IT HARDER TO GET A PARKING SPOT.
NEGOTIATIONS TO SELL THE CHOWN GARAGE HAVE STALLED.((Hutchins))
THE HOSPITAL WANTS TO BUY THE GARAGE, AND THEN EXPAND IT TO ACCOMMODATE MORE VISITORS.
AND TONIGHT, C-K-W-S NEWS HAS LEARNED HOW MUCH THE CITY STANDS TO COLLECT FROM THE SALE OF ITS BIGGEST PARKING STRUCTURE.
A BIGGER AND BETTER CHOWN PARKING GARAGE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BUILT BY NOW...
...ADDING 200 ABOVE-GROUND SPACES ON THIS VACANT LOT AT BROCK AND MONTREAL STREETS.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THE TIMETABLE HAS NOT WORKED OUT THAT WAY.
TED DARBY:
"THESE ARE COMPLEX PROJECTS THAT TAKE TIME."
THE VICE PRESIDENT OF PLANNING FOR LOCAL HOSPITALS SAYS 3-PARTY NEGOTIATIONS ARE STILL UNDERWAY BETWEEN THE HOSPITAL, THE CITY, AND A PRIVATE CONSORTIUM THAT'S PUTTING UP THE MONEY TO DESIGN, BUILD AND MANAGE THE EXPANDED PARKING GARAGE.
DARBY:
"WE ARE MOVING AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
BUT THESE DEALS NEED TO BE DONE PROPERLY AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER THAN ONE WOULD HOPE."
LAST YEAR, WHEN HOTEL DIEU APPROACHED CITY HALL ABOUT BUYING THE CHOWN GARAGE,...THERE WERE SKEPTICAL POLITICIANS WHO WANTED TO KNOW WHY THEY WERE BEING RUSHED INTO SELLING THE DOWNTOWN'S BIGGEST PUBLIC PARKING STRUCTURE.
BILL GLOVER
"THERE WAS ENORMOUS URGENCY."
BUILDINGS ON THE SITE WERE DEMOLISHED LAST SUMMER.
SINCE THEN, THE GARAGE EXPANSION HAS STALLED.
AND POLITICIANS ARE FEELING FRUSTRATED.
GLOVER:
"WE WERE TONGUE LASHED I MIGHT SAY THAT WE HAD TO GET ON WITH THIS... THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL BECAUSE CARS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PARKING IN COMPLETED GARAGE IN DECEMBER OF 2008.
AT THE END OF JANUARY 2009, I THINK IT'S PRETTY MUCH A HOLE IN THE GROUND."
WHAT POLITICIANS MAY NOT KNOW IS HOW MUCH THEY STAND TO COLLECT FROM SELLING THIS PARKING ASSET TO THE HOSPITAL.
WHILE THE DEAL HASN'T BEEN SEALED, A SENIOR OFFICIAL INVOLVED IN THE TALKS TOLD CKWS NEWS THE HOSPITAL IS WILLING TO PAY 4 MILLION DOLLARS TO BUY THE GARAGE OUTRIGHT -- AND WILL GIVE THE CITY MORE THAN 61-THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR IN A LONG-TERM LEASE OF THE LAND.
IT'S A BIG PRICE TO PAY.
BUT THE HOSPITAL SAYS ADDITIONAL PARKING IS CRUCIAL TO ITS EXPANDING ROLE AS A CLINICAL CARE CENTRE.
DARBY
" WE'RE CONSOLIDATING ACUTE AMBULATORY CARE AT THE HOTEL DIEU.
THAT WILL RESULT IN ADDITIONAL 50-THOUSAND VISITS.
WE OBVIOUSLY NEED MORE PARKING, SO WE'RE EXPANDING FROM 400 SPACES TO OVER 600"
BUT WHEN THAT MULTI-LEVEL EXPANSION WILL HAPPEN STILL ISN'T CLEAR.
DARBY SAYS IT COULD BE ANOTHER TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE SIGNED... BEFORE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS.
ALONG WITH MORE PARKING, THERE WILL BE A PEDESTRIAN SKYWALK OVER BROCK STREET THAT WILL CONNECT THE GARAGE TO THE HOSPITAL, PLUS A NEW BREAST CANCER SCREENING CLINIC.
DESPITE THE DELAYS, IT MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR CITY COUNCIL TO BACK OUT OF THE SALE, SINCE HEALTH CARE NEEDS ARE HIGH, AND SO ARE THE POTENTIAL PARKING PROFITS.