In 1917, Dr. James Douglas, Chancellor of Queen's University, donated $100,000 towards a fund for the redevelopment of KGH’s teaching and research facilities. An ambitious 15-year building plan was developed to include:
- a service building for dietary, dining and storage
- a central heating plant
- a city isolation hospital
- a 26-bed extension to the Empire wing
- construction of the Douglas wing
- construction of the Richardson laboratories
Initial estimates for the complete plan totaled more than $600,000 and in May 1919 the Ontario government voted to give $400,000 to the Kingston General Hospital.
