Site-viability checklist for medical space

Run this checklist against any property before the lease binds. It is ordered by veto power: the top items can kill a site outright, the later items price it. Items with citations are regulatory; the rest are the due-diligence practice experienced teams follow.

Scope: Pre-lease and pre-purchase screening for Alberta clinic space, with Edmonton verification services named. The full reasoning behind each item is in the site selection guide; what happens after commitment is in the change-of-use guide.

1. Approved use and zoning

• The property's zone is identified (in Edmonton, via the zoning map or a Zoning Confirmation Report, which averages 10 working days)^{[2]Zoning Confirmation ReportCity of EdmontonTier 1 source · checked 2026-08-20}
• The Health Service use's status in that zone is confirmed: permitted, discretionary, or absent^{[4]Edmonton Zoning Bylaw 20001City of EdmontonPassed Oct 23, 2023; effective Jan 1, 2024Tier 1 source · checked 2026-08-20}
• If discretionary or uncertain: zoning approval is obtained before signing, or the lease is conditional on it^{[1]Zoning Approval for Your BusinessCity of EdmontonTier 1 source · checked 2026-08-20}
• A Compliance Certificate has been considered for what it actually proves: existing structures and permits, not future-use permission^{[3]Compliance Certificates - Residential and CommercialCity of EdmontonTier 1 source · checked 2026-08-20}
• Any overlays, direct-control zoning, or site-specific conditions are identified

2. Access, parking, and accessibility

• Barrier-free entrance, path of travel, and washroom feasibility are assessed against the building code's requirements^{[5]Building codes and standards (NBC 2023 Alberta Edition adoption status)Alberta Municipal AffairsNational Building Code - 2023 Alberta Edition, in force May 1, 2024 (NBC 2019 AE expired Apr 30, 2024); NECB 2020 in force May 1, 2024Tier 1 source · checked 2026-08-20}
• Barrier-free parking can be provided per the applicable building code
• Patient arrival works: drop-off, transit, and walking distance from parking
• Any lease, condo, or site-agreement parking obligations are identified (the zoning bylaw's lack of minimums does not erase private ones)

3. Structural capacity

• Floor loading for heavier equipment (imaging, sterilizers, compact storage) is assessed where you would place it
• Slab and ceiling conditions allow the services routing a clinic needs
• Vibration-sensitive uses (imaging) are checked against building sources like mechanical rooms and traffic

4. Electrical service

• Existing service capacity to the premises is documented by the landlord
• Headroom exists for clinic equipment loads, or an upgrade path is priced
• Panel space and routing to your fit-out area are workable

5. HVAC and outside air

• The base building can deliver the outside air and ventilation clinical use needs, or supplementation is feasible
• Rooftop or mechanical space is available for added equipment, with landlord consent terms known
• Exhaust routing (washrooms, reprocessing, any procedure spaces) has a real path out

6. Plumbing and drainage

• Riser and drainage locations are mapped against your likely wet rooms
• The plumbing reach for CPSA's expected sinks (every exam room, utility rooms, reprocessing) is affordable from where services enter^{[6]Renovating or Developing New Clinical Office Space - IPAC Program Guidelines (PDF)College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA)Tier 1 source · checked 2026-08-20}
• Water heating capacity supports clinical demand

7. Roof, shafts, and service access

• Shaft space or routing exists for new mechanical and electrical services
• Roof access and structural capacity for added units are confirmed with the landlord

8. Emergency power feasibility

• If your program needs backup power, space, fuel, and connection paths exist
• Landlord consent for a generator or UPS installation is realistic

9. Equipment delivery route

• The largest planned equipment physically fits the route: doors, corridors, elevators, turns
• Loading access and elevator capacity are confirmed for delivery day

10. Clean and soiled flows

• The floor plate can hold separate clean and soiled utility rooms and a reprocessing area with one-way workflow^{[6]Renovating or Developing New Clinical Office Space - IPAC Program Guidelines (PDF)College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA)Tier 1 source · checked 2026-08-20}
• Soiled return from procedure rooms to reprocessing does not cross public or patient space
• Waiting area can meet the two-metre segregation capacity at your expected volumes^{[6]Renovating or Developing New Clinical Office Space - IPAC Program Guidelines (PDF)College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA)Tier 1 source · checked 2026-08-20}

11. Landlord work and restoration

• What the landlord builds versus what you build is in writing before pricing
• Approval rights over your alterations, and their turnaround, are defined
• End-of-term restoration obligations are known, because clinical fit-outs are expensive to remove

12. Target schedule

• The possession date works against the permit chain, fit-out, and your opening logic
• Fixturing period and rent commencement match the realistic construction duration
• Landlord consent steps are on the schedule, not assumed instant

Disclaimer: This checklist is a general screening aid for Alberta clinic sites, current to the dates shown. It is not exhaustive and not legal, architectural, engineering, or leasing advice. Verify zoning and code questions with the municipality, and base-building questions with qualified consultants, before committing to any property.