The future of the former Oak Bay Lodge property is back on the table, with Island Health and the Capital Regional Hospital District (CRHD) agreeing to work together on a plan for the site.
The agencies announced Friday that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore whether the 3.9-acre property at 2251 Cadboro Bay Road could be redeveloped for health and community services.
Their work is expected to continue over the next two years.
It is still too early to say what will be built; however, a feasibility study has examined possibilities including long-term care, hospice, seniors’ care, primary care and other health services, but no option has been selected.
The agreement does not approve a project or commit funding.
Oak Bay Lodge opened in 1972 and provided long-term care for decades. The 235-bed facility closed in 2020, when most residents moved to The Summit at Quadra Village.
Ownership of the property transferred to CRHD that August.
The hospital district asked the public for ideas in 2021, after determining the old building had reached the end of its useful life. Its consultation materials also identified restrictions requiring the property to be used for the public good and as a retirement home.
Planning took another step in March, when the hospital district board authorized up to $200,000 to seek interest from a third party that could participate in redevelopment.
The board reaffirmed its support for publicly funded elder care on the site and asked the province to support a public health care project there.
The new agreement brings Island Health into that planning work.
Any eventual proposal would still require further review, funding approvals and provincial endorsement. No construction date has been set.
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