SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
It has been revealed that the Stanton Territorial renewal project will see a completely new building constructed "in the vicinity" of the existing structure, according to a spokesperson for the GNWT.

Andrew Livingstone, in an e-mail to Yellowknifer on Thursday, said the project will see a "new building located in the vicinity of the current building, and the government will be looking at options for future use with respect to the current Stanton Territorial Hospital building."

"Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2015 and be completed by fall 2018," he wrote.

The GNWT has previously said the existing hospital would be expanded over five years.

"Construction on the new hospital, which will start this fall, will see the current facility replaced by a new purpose-designed facility that will address patient needs and provide high-quality health-care delivery," stated finance minister Michael Miltenberger in a news release.

It's a change from what was previously known about the estimated $300-million dollar public-private partnership project.

Documents issued as part of the process to find a bidder obtained by the Union of Northern Workers show the original concept was to double the size of Stanton from about 13,300 gross square metres to approximately 24,000 gross square metres. An illustration shows new wings added to the existing building as part of the expansion.

The documents state the building would be completely stripped back to the base building structure on the interior as part of the expansion.

"The building is a good candidate for renovation," the documents state.

It wasn't immediately clear why or when the change occurred in plans.

Range Lake MLA Daryl Dolynny told Yellowknifer Thursday afternoon that from the beginning there have been questions about why the GNWT was favouring an expansion versus a brand new building.

He said conversations with those expected to bid on the building pointed to building a new structure instead of an expansion as the cheaper option.

"They're clearly now reverting back to what we told them was the most cost-efficient way to do this, yet they have not vetted with any source.

"They have not told (MLAs) ... Really they're changing directions on the fly without due process," he said, emphasizing it was the first he had heard about the plan.

The new information comes as the GNWT announces it signed an agreement with Boreal Health Partnership under the public-private partnership model.

Boreal was the successful bidder to finance, design, build and maintain the hospital. The new facility will retain its name, Livingstone wrote.

The price tag to build the new hospital has not yet been finalized.

Livingstone stated the cost remains "approximately $300 million," saying more details need to be worked out.

"It's not like going to the bank to get a car loan," he wrote.

"A project of this magnitude is complex and the finer details of the agreement are still being finalized. The GNWT will have a more concrete picture in the coming weeks, but it's expected the cost of the project will be within the approved project budget."

- with files from John McFadden