UHN buys 15-storey building downtown to support cancer care, research and education​

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre has reached capacity, hospital network says​

CBC News · Posted: Dec 20, 2024 10:42 AM EST | Last Updated: 44 minutes ago

A blue sign with UHN on it.

The new building, located at 522 University Ave., may include an early cancer detection program and a prostate cancer centre. (Hugo Levesque/CBC)

University Health Network (UHN) has bought a 15-storey, 210,000 square foot building in downtown Toronto to support programs in cancer care, research and education, the hospital network announced on Friday.

Services at the building, located at 522 University Ave., may include an early cancer detection program and a prostate cancer centre, according to a news release.
"We're looking for more than incremental expansion. We're looking at transformative solutions," said Kevin Smith, president and CEO of UHN, at an announcement in the building on Friday morning.

The new addition may also be home to a centralized "Cancer Digital Intelligence team" that will use advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to improve care, the release said.
UHN currently has 10 sites, according to its website, including Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital.
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre "has experienced growing patient volumes and has reached capacity," the release said.
It said funds from the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation will partly support operations in the new building.
WATCH | Cancer patients paying tens of thousands out of pocket:

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Cancer costs Canadian patients $33K on average


A new report from the Canadian Cancer Society suggests cancer patients are paying tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for expenses including transportation, prescription drugs and medical devices. And those costs make fighting the disease much more difficult.

Speaking at Friday's announcement, Premier Doug Ford said fighting cancer "has a special spot in my heart."
He added, "I think everyone in the country [has] a friend or family member that has been affected by this terrible disease."
The premier's brother, former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, died in 2016 after being diagnosed with cancer two years earlier.
"We'll put every resource we have to continue being the leaders in the world in making sure we save more people," Ford said.
Cancer rates are expected to rise by 77 per cent by 2050, Smith said, citing data from the World Health Organization.
It remained the leading cause of death in Canada in 2023, according to Statistics Canada.
 
This has been in the works for awhile.......

I am fascinated by the choice to continue pursuing the ZBA even as they were about to seal the deal with a buyer who has no use for the zoning as pursued. Hmmm.
 
Northern Light said:
This has been in the works for awhile.......

I am fascinated by the choice to continue pursuing the ZBA even as they were about to seal the deal with a buyer who has no use for the zoning as pursued. Hmmm.
Click to expand...
The city has been threatening file closures for old applications (pre-Bill 109 applications) since they are weighing on the average time it takes to approve developments.

I think it’s pushing some developers to move on files that have been sitting for years waiting on resubmissions. Likely a lot of things moving along just for the sake of keeping the applications open and not having to eat application fees.

Not sure if this falls under that umbrella, but I do see it was initially proposed prior to Bill 109.
 
UHN paid $79.25 million for the building.

Which is roughly $379 per ft2 in the existing building.

That's below the average ask .... seems like good value.
 
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