Old Costco in St. John's to be converted into new ambulatory care clinics

Newfoundland and Labrador's Health Department says a new ambulatory care hub in St. John's will be built inside the old Costco building on Stavanger Drive. 

The government said in a statement Thursday that the hub, which will allow walk-in patients to obtain a variety of health services, will cut down on visits to acute-care facilities and improve access to services for residents.

The Costco building hasn't been used since 2019, when the company opened a larger warehouse in the Galway neighbourhood of St. John's.

A contract of $4.1 million annually has been awarded to the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Alliance — a not-for-profit social enterprise — for a 20-year lease.

In a press release issued Thursday, the department said the hub will improve access to outpatient services where overnight hospitalization isn't required.

Services include physiotherapy, surgery clinics, X-rays and ultrasounds.

The hub will also decrease traffic around acute-care sites, the release said, and allow N.L. Health Services to expand on critical acute in-patient services — like emergencies, surgeries and cardiology — and cut down on wait times because of the addition of more clinic spaces.

The facility is expected to open in early 2025.

CBC News has asked the Health Department and N.L. Health Services for comment.

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