MONTREAL - The Centre Hospitalier de l'University de Montreal, also known as the French superhospital, finally has a builder.
The provincial government and CHUM announced Friday that an international consortium will be the private partner for the medical research and treatment centre.
Construction on the first phase of the project, which will include most clinical services, will begin in March and is now expected to be completed by spring 2016.
It will take an additional three years to finish an amphitheatre, medical library, and office space.
The consortium, called CHUM Collectif, was the only group whose bid came in within the project's $2.1 billion budget.
No Quebec firms are part of the group, which consists of Toronto-based Dalkia Canada, Obrascon Huarte Lain, based in Spain, and Innisfree Limited, headquartered in England).
Premier Jean Charest told reporters he isn't concerned Quebec firms aren't involved."Building a university hospital is a very complex and unique undertaking," he said.
"Secondly, the size of the project, the financial requirements are also extremely important. I would add to that that, you know, we are always delighted when we see Quebec firms like Bombardier win contracts all over the world."
The consortium is expected to hire hundreds of Quebec employees to do the actual construction.
The long-awaited hospital was first proposed in the mid-1990s and projected to be completed in 2003.
In December 2010 Treasury Board President Michelle Courchesne announced a $300 million increase in its cost estimate, partially due to the hospital's location in the downtown core at 1000 St. Denis Blvd.
