VCHA and AHV Enter Project Agreement

On September 30, 2004, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCHA) and AHV Access Health Vancouver Ltd. (AHV) entered into a project agreement for the design, construction, finance, operation and maintenance of an academic ambulatory care centre (the AACC) in Vancouver. This agreement, British Columbia’s first large scale public-private partnership in the healthcare sector, will see the construction of an eleven-storey building at the site of Vancouver General Hospital, having an estimated design and construction cost of approximately C$95 million. VCHA will be the principal tenant of the AACC over a 30-year term and will assume ownership of the building at the end of 30 years. VCHA will retain responsibility for delivery of all health care services at the AACC while gaining much needed medical office, clinical and teaching space.

VCHA was represented by Bull, Housser & Tupper with a team that included John Haythorne, Greg Lewis, Jay LeMoine and Andrew Francis. The consortium, through AHV (a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABN AMRO Bank Canada NV) was advised by Bob Bauer, Greg Southam, David Smith, Derek Vesey, Brian Clark, Peter Westcott and Elise Sieradzki of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg (DWPV). Lawson Lundell provided local counsel to AHV, with a team led by Neil Marshall that included Ed Wilson, Paul Bradley and Shaun Connery.

The consortium was made up of ABN AMRO Bank Canada, NV (advised by DWPV), PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc., advised by Doug Stollery, Q.C., of Reynolds, Mirth, Richards & Farmer, and Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls Facility Management Services, advised by in-house counsel Steven Richards, and assisted by Mark Bain, Paul Blundy and Tara Mackay of Bennett Jones.