Construction starts on new $310M BC Children's Hospital campus in East Vancouver | Daily Hive

Construction begins on new $310-million BC Children's Hospital campus in East Vancouver

Concept of the Centre for Health Complexity of BC Children's Hospital at 3580-3644 Slocan St., Vancouver. (Diamond Schmitt Architects/BC Children's Hospital)

Before the end of the decade, there will be a new major secondary facility for BC Children’s Hospital within Vancouver.

In late April, construction officially commenced on the new Centre for Health Complexity campus on a 6.7-acre site at 3580-3644 Slocan St. — located at the northeast corner of the intersection of East 21st Avenue and Slocan Street.

As the name of the facility suggests, this will be a hub for treating individuals up to 19 years of age with complex, chronic health conditions, such as conditions that affect multiple body systems and structures, and require assistance with everyday activities such as eating and moving. There will be healthcare, counselling, and peer support.

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This 120,500 sq. ft., three-storey BC Children’s Hospital facility features 16 patient and family suites for short, planned overnight stays, with family kitchen and dining areas, as well as a family resource centre and sibling support centre. Not only will this facility serve to train healthcare professionals, but it is intended to provide families with the confidence they need to care for their child at home.

There will be access to the outdoors from all levels through courtyards and patios, with outdoor spaces including an Indigenous healing garden, a plaza, an accessible wellness path, and green spaces.

bc childrens hospital centre for health complexity 3580-3644 Slocan Street vancouver

Concept of the Centre for Health Complexity of BC Children’s Hospital at 3580-3644 Slocan St., Vancouver. (Diamond Schmitt Architects/BC Children’s Hospital)

In addition to in-person care, the new facility will offer virtual care for children and youth in B.C. and the Yukon.

Additionally, the campus will include a childcare facility in a standalone building with a capacity for 74 kids, separately operated by a licensed childcare operator.

This facility — deemed the first of its kind in Canada — will improve healthcare outcomes and reduce ongoing healthcare costs. As more children with health complexities are living longer lives due to advancements in healthcare and technology, they account for up to 33 per cent of child healthcare provincial spending and more than half of paediatric hospitalizations. But they account for less than one per cent of the paediatric population.

Concept of the Centre for Health Complexity of BC Children’s Hospital at 3580-3644 Slocan St., Vancouver. (Diamond Schmitt Architects/BC Children’s Hospital)

There were about 7,800 children with health complexity who accessed BC Children’s Hospital services in 2018, with 20 per cent of these patients living outside the Lower Mainland. By 2035, it is expected that this number will grow to 9,000.

“By providing specialized care for children with complex health needs, we are improving the quality of life for families and setting a standard of care that ensures children receive the care they need,” said Josie Osborne, BC Minister of Health, in a statement.

“This transformative centre will be purpose-built for children with health complexity to the highest accessibility standards, and I’m thrilled to celebrate another project milestone.”

Concept of the Centre for Health Complexity of BC Children’s Hospital at 3580-3644 Slocan St., Vancouver. (Diamond Schmitt Architects/BC Children’s Hospital)

In early 2023, Vancouver City Council approved the rezoning application for the new campus, which replaces the site’s aging building previously home to the Sunny Hill Health Centre since 1961.

Sunny Hill’s healthcare services for cerebral palsy, disabilities, and children requiring extensive rehabilitation were relocated to the main campus of BC Children’s Hospital on Oak Street in the Vancouver Westside in 2020.

The site saw its first healthcare uses in the 1910s when it was used a small isolation hospital. Beginning in the 1930s, the facilities were repurposed for treating children with tuberculosis.

Following a bidding process, in Summer 2024, BC Children’s Hospital selected Ledcor as the project’s main contractor under a design-build contract. Ledcor has partnered with design firms Diamond Schmitt Architects and Connect Landscape Architecture.

Construction is expected to reach completion in December 2027, with the centre opening in early 2028.

3580-3644 Slocan Street vancouver bc children

Site of the future BC Children’s Hospital campus for the Centre for Health Complexity; the former Sunny Hill Health Centre building at 3580-3644 Slocan St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

bc childrens hospital centre for children with health complexity vancouver construction april 25 2025 1

Construction progress on BC Children’s Hospital’s new Centre for Health Complexity campus at 3580-3644 Slocan St., as of April 25, 2025. (Government of BC)

The project carries a total cost of about $310 million, with $60 million provided by BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, including $20 million for further building enhancements.

“I can’t underscore the impact this centre will have on the lives of children, families and caregivers. Behind its walls, people will be supported and empowered to live a higher quality of life centred around the care and well-being of both the child and their family,” said Malcolm Perry, president and CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“This model of care will also pave the way as a blueprint for other jurisdictions nationally and internationally, to enhance the care provided to children with medical complexity and their families.”

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