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A combination of growing health demands and crumbling infrastructure has Alberta Health Services planning for a massive $4.5-billion overhaul of the Royal Alexandra Hospital campus.

A proposed site plan obtained by the Journal shows a project so big and complex it would need to be done in four phases over 16 years. It would involve up to 20 buildings.

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Highlights include the construction of an 800-bed highrise, a stand-alone child mental health building, and new facilities for the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital and CapitalCare Norwood.

Several older facilities, many dating to the 1950s and ’60s, would be demolished to make room at the crowded inner-city health campus. Should it proceed, the initiative would likely be the largest and most expensive health care project in Alberta’s history.

“It’s a huge project,” said Dr. David Mador, AHS vice-president and medical director for northern Alberta. “It’s a big hospital and a significant portion of the buildings on the campus will not be suitable for patient care by the year 2030. It’s a challenging project because we have to maintain services while we are building the new facilities.”