Design options for Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital on display at open house

The planning team behind the new St. Paul's Hospital offered a glimpse at two possible designs for the new health centre at an open house Wednesday evening.

Dozens of people came to see the plans for the controversial $1.2 billion relocation project, which was announced last year.

A new St. Paul's will be built on a site just east of downtown Vancouver,next to the Pacific Central rail and bus station.

One design is an "urban court" model,with a large plaza in the middle and the main building running east towest.

The second is what the architects arecalling a "pedestrian spine,"with a foot path through the middle and the main building running north to south.

After examining the two concepts, many people at the open house were still more interested in discussingthe hospital's relocation.

While the move is no longer up for debate, the planners say they will take all feedback into consideration.

The hospital'scurrent site in Vancouver's West Endis in need of major seismic upgrades.Seniors and other West End residents opposed to the move haveargued that they need close accessto health services.

A finished hospital is still a long way off it's not expected to open until2023.

With files from Stephanie Mercier