When the Royal Victoria Hospital moves on Sunday, the new Glen site will really come to life. But it seems some very basic support services will not be immediately available to the thousands of staff and visitors.
The design plans for the superhospital included a variety of dining options and retail spaces. They're supposed to be located for the most part in the main galleria that runs the length of the facility, but a visit to the Glen reveals no cafes or restaurants, no pharmacy, no shops.
The main cafeteria is open -- it's located at one end of the long complex, and seats about 300 people. But an employee at the research institute says right now at lunchtime it's almost impossible to find a seat, and with thousands of staff, patients and visitors yet to arrive, employees say they absolutely need more dining options.
“I think it's going to be necessary because the cafeteria even with the hospital not being open to the public is full,” she said.
SNC-Lavalin, the consortium tasked with bringing the project to life, said in a statement most of the retail spaces have been rented out, but sub-leases still need to be signed.
Tenants will include a pharmacy, gift stores, a cafe and restaurant, an ATM, financial services, a florist and a toy store among others. Ninety per cent of the rental income will be reinvested in the maintenance of the hospitals.
But construction work on behalf of tenants is just beginning, so businesses will only be up and running at the earliest in late June, a full month after the Montreal Children's Hospital moves in.
