Grace developer gets final deadline

The developer who has the contract to develop the old Grace Hospital site into a long-term-care home has been given yet another deadline by the provincial government, and this time it looks likely he will lose the contract if he misses the deadline.

The warning came Wednesday night from Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.

"As of Friday noon, if Mr. [Lou] Vozza has not fulfilled his obligations specifically related to financing, the contract will be cancelled with him terminated, revoked," Duncan said, shortly after locking up the Liberal nomination for the coming provincial election in the riding of Windsor-Tecumseh.

"Both the premier and myself, the minister, have been in discussions today, and the intention is that the contract will be taken away on Friday."

Duncan insisted this time the province means business, and for the first time he admitted a plan-B is in the works.

"There are a number of other developers who have expressed an interest. There's also within provincial procurement policies the ability to go to the next highest bidder. There's a whole range of issues that need to be resolved. I'll have more to say about that as we move forward, but this has gone on too long, and we're at the point now where we're going to revoke the contract," Duncan said.

The finance minister would not say where the new long-term-care home would be built, only that he is dedicated to bringing beds to Windsor's west end. Two weeks ago, Windsor-West MPP Sandra Pupatello told CBC News that, if Vozza does lose the contract, it's unlikely the Grace site will be redeveloped.

Vozza has missed several deadlines, and Duncan said he's been given too many chances. Duncan said the community wants to see construction begin, and families deserve the new long-term care beds.