The project for a new hospital for the population of the Biel-Seeland-Bernese Jura region will reach a decisive milestone on October 27. The citizens of Brügg, a German-speaking municipality adjoining Biel, will vote on the Marais-de-Brügg area plan which serves as the legal basis for the establishment of this bilingual hospital of the Bienne Hospital Center (CHB).
For several years now, the CHB has been seeking to replace the current hospital located above the town of Bienne, in the residential district of Beaumont. This building will no longer be able to meet the requirements of a central, modern acute care hospital.
The costs of a renovation would be similar to those of constructing a new building. Added to this is the fact that an extension on the current site is impossible. The Bienne Hospital Center, a limited company 99% owned by the canton of Bern, would finance this project.
Ideal location
The evaluation of a new location covered around twenty potential sites in the bilingual region of Biel-Seeland-Bernese Jura. The choice fell on land in Brügg, along the Nidau-Büren canal. The site is easily accessible and offers long-term development capabilities.
A positive vote from the population would make it possible to launch applications for building permits from next year, with work completed within five years. A refusal by the sovereign would mean that there would no longer be a legal basis for a new hospital.
A modification of the construction regulations in the Marais-de-Brügg area is necessary for the construction of the hospital and the development projects associated with it. This modification also concerns the sale and purchase of land properties by the municipality of Brügg.
For the municipal authorities and those responsible for CHB SA, it is not only a question of building a new hospital in Marais-de-Brügg but also of enhancing the surrounding areas and integrating this building into a riverside park, according to the message to the electorate.
ats/fgn
Swiss
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