Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton has asked the province for more information on how Alberta Health Services plans to handle potentially consolidating current office space into the QEII Hospital from other areas of Grande Prairie.
In a letter penned to Health Minister Tyler Shandro, Clayton says business community members believe that AHS potentially moving a majority of its office space into the QEII Hospital too quickly could cause commercial lease rates to spike citywide.
“If there is an office building that has 20 offices rented from AHS, and it’s half the building, to the property owner, it could be significant.”
Clayton adds the impact could go far beyond just the lease rates in the city, as the trickle-down effect could be fairly long-reaching.
“What that does to certain areas of our city, when an office building that maybe is next door to a restaurant, is now empty, that impacts the restaurant as well,” she says.
Mayor Clayton suggests if AHS still believes consolidation into the hospital is their best route, the city is simply asking to be given what they believe would be a reasonable amount of time to react.
“If it were to be a staggered approach, I think that would help.”
Clayton adds a second concern is that surgical rooms and other purpose-built health facilities may also be converted into office space. She says it would be a tremendous loss to the community to have the amenities removed, and hopes AHS puts forward a great effort to retain those spaces as is. The Grande Prairie Regional Hospital is slated to open to the public in Fall 2021.