The Uxborough space has been designed to be welcoming and functional for everyone, ensuring that patients feel comfortable while accessing the care they need
The new Arthur J. E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre is a showpiece of a structure but, driving by on 16th Avenue N.W., one is also struck by the first eye-catching building to be completed directly across the road in the new Uxborough development.
Developed by Western Securities on the site of the former Stadium Shopping Centre, Uxborough is destined to be a vibrant, mixed-use development covering more than 830,000 square feet. On completion, it will offer professional and medical facilities, boutique shopping, hospitality and residential units.
The eight-storey medical centre is an attractive, chocolate-brown building — designed by GGA-Architecture — that offers 146,000 square feet of prime office space already well on the way to being fully leased.
The team of Peter Mayerchak and Jash Sandhu of Colliers International is responsible for the commercial leasing, and following their recent announcement of the entire second floor being contracted to EFW Radiology and 14,000 square feet on another floor to United Nurses of Alberta, they have finalized a lease with Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network for most of floors five and six.
Primary care networks (PCNs) and family doctors work together to ensure all Albertans have a home base for their everyday health needs. It’s a team-based health-care model of family doctors and professionals, mental-health therapists, social workers and dietitians to collaboratively provide integrated care for all primary health-care needs.
There are 39 PCNs in Alberta representing more than 3,800 doctors and 1,000 health-care providers.
Seven PCNs are in different areas of the city — Calgary Foothills PCN covers the northwest area — and Cochrane currently has four locations.
Executive director Jake Jennings was associated with Alberta Heath Services for eight years before joining Calgary Foothills PCN two years ago. The graduate of Haskayne School of Business went on to earn his MBA in executive management from Royal Roads. He says he is excited to consolidate his head office team into the Uxbridge tower — easily reached by transit services or car within an established area of the city close to the cancer centre, Alberta Children’s Hospital and the University of Calgary, with a planned pedestrian bridge across 16th Avenue to the Foothills Medical Centre.
His PCN has a group of 537 physician members who support more than 402,000 patients in the organization’s zone area.
“There were several factors involved in our decision to consolidate spaces, such as being unable to extend some of our leases, but our foundational goal is to improve primary care,” says Jennings. “We will be able to improve efficiencies and the ability for PCN teams for increased collaboration, which will spark more innovation and support a culture of continuous improvement.”
With the help of Holland Licensed Interior Design, the Uxborough space has been designed to be welcoming and functional for everyone, ensuring that patients feel comfortable while accessing the care they need. It will include five clinical spaces with consultation, examination and treatment rooms, as well as community spaces, meeting rooms, a kitchen and space for the One-Step-at-a-Time mental therapy program. Naturally, the new home will be fully accessible for people with accessibility challenges.
It will accommodate the PCN’s team of 200, around 100 of whom will be working in the building on a daily basis.
Joining a PCN is optional for doctors, but allows them to be part of a network of professionals who stay connected with each other throughout their patient’s journey. Jennings says the goal of a PCN is to co-ordinate access to primary care services. His new location in the Uxborough Medical Office Building will be ready to move into by January, able to offer member doctors improved access to specialized programs and health teams.
Notes:
The 2024 Calgary Stampede was one for the books for Concorde Entertainment Group; the owner of Wildhorse and National Saloons recorded some incredible figures. In 10 days, patrons chowed down five tonnes of brisket, crushed 8,501 tater tots and chugged down half a million beers. All restaurants did well thanks to Calgarians and visitors out to enjoy a fun time and good food. Many took in free breakfasts — OMO Teppan & Kitchen chose the time to serve a free Sunday brunch to customers who ate 150 kilograms of meat.
David Parker appears regularly in the Herald. Read his columns online at calgaryherald.com/business. He can be reached at 403-830-4622.