On Tuesday night, Port Hope Council received a report from staff which included the legal agreement that allows Southbridge Health Care to proceed with the initial conditions for the development of the property at Ward Street and Hope Street South.
Southbridge will be required to provide the Municipality of Port Hope all documentation that will allow the Municipality to issue the necessary approvals for demolition of any of the buildings - the initial cottage hospital, the power house, and the hospital building located at 65 Ward Street. In addition, site plans are to be submitted, submissions for the issuance of building and demolition permits completed, that all ownership documents are in order to the satisfaction of the Municipality and that the construction manager has all the necessary executed agreements executed for the project.
In return, the Municipality agrees to a withdrawal of the Notice of Intention to Designate the hospital building known as 65 Ward Street once Southbridge has completed all their requirements and made the necessary monetary payments in relation to the project.
The agreement must be completed or substantially in progress by December 31, 2020 (the termination date).
Northumberland 89.7 has received the following response from Southbridge Health Care's Patrick Moore, Director of Communications, Marketing, Stakeholder, and Government Relations:
"Of course we are pleased to be working together with the Municipality to bring state-of-the-art long-term care to Port Hope. This decision was only possible due to the hard work from everyone involved. As we move through this process, we expect our partnership to grow. We will now begin moving forward and expect no issues in meeting or exceeding the date specified in the contract. We look forward to building, in partnership with the Municipality, a long-term care home of which Port Hope can be proud."
