A new development aimed at attracting more medical professionals to the city is already underway, with more than 50 per cent of units reserved.
Michael Pavone, owner of Pavone Developments, said details are still being ironed out for the St. Albert Health and Wellness Centre in terms of size and location, but the development will go ahead.
“There is a big demand from people in the community that I know and talk to,” he said, adding reservations have already been made for a podiatrist, dental practice, naturopath, chiropractor and medical clinic.
“The plan is to have about six full-time physicians on staff at the medi-clinic,” he said, adding the current supply doesn’t match the demand of medical doctors in the community.
He said the goal of the development is to attract between 10 and 15 separate medical and wellness operations to the development, which will be between 20,000 and 30,000 square feet.
Pavone said the single-storey development was planned for a 1.3-acre commercial lot located at 60 Green Grove Dr., between the Bubbles and Fountain Tire on St. Albert Trail, but building restrictions might force him to find a new location, as the size of the building and parking lot is limited by the landscape.
“It’s going to go ahead, but I don’t want anyone to think there’s any specifics,” he said. “The overall size and location is still in the works.”
Details are expected to be finalized in the next 60 days, with development to be completed around spring 2013.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said he thinks developments like this will help alleviate the difficulty city residents are having in finding a family physician — something many people have struggled with in recent years.
“It’s absolutely necessary and every time that I hear in the community that people don’t have medical doctors, it reminds me that this is a constant priority,” he said. “I know the demand is greater than the supply of medical doctors, so that’s what’s most important.”
He said he is not sure what the demand is for other medical professions, like orthodontists or physiotherapists, and said his main focus is on family doctors.
Crouse started a physician attraction taskforce in May of last year, which included a survey conducted to determine the magnitude of the doctor shortage in St. Albert.
There are roughly 60 family physicians in St. Albert with only two accepting new patients and Crouse said an additional six to 10 would be sufficient.
The focus of the attraction taskforce is to bring new physicians to the city. Crouse said he thinks this will be accomplished, despite the potential for existing medical practices to simply relocate to the newer buildings.
He said he’s unsure if the taskforce had an impact on the St. Albert Health and Wellness development, but said he would like to remain optimistic.
“I think what’s happening is the community is hearing about it, the developers are hearing about it and realtors are hearing about it,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is create a climate where you’re communicating to the community that there’s a need and you’re inviting and you’re making it important.”
Crouse told the Gazette at the beginning of the month that there were two developments in the works looking to attract medical professionals to the city. These developments are in addition to the St. Albert Health and Wellness Centre.
An unnamed private developer is responsible for one development, which Crouse said has been in the works since the taskforce was created. No timeline has been provided to council for this development.
The second developer, also building along St. Albert Trail, is open to having doctors set up shop in that building as well.
