Toronto Developers Make Historic $30M Donation to UHN Foundation for New Surgical Tower at Toronto Western Hospital

TORONTO — In a major boost for Toronto’s healthcare sector, three prominent families in real estate development have made a record $30-million donation to the UHN Foundation. The gift, made by John D’Angelo, Giuseppe Maio, and Claudio Memme — partners at HBNG Holborn Group — along with their wives Rosella, Lidia, and Gina, was revealed at the opening night of the 20th Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival on Thursday. This contribution will directly support the construction of a state-of-the-art surgical tower at Toronto Western Hospital, set to be the largest project in University Health Network (UHN) history.

The 15-storey, $1.1-billion tower will feature 82 private patient rooms, new critical care beds, and 20 advanced operating rooms equipped with robotic technology and real-time imaging. Designed to enhance patient and family experiences, the tower will expand Toronto Western’s capacity for surgical care by 20%, alleviating wait times and backlogs for Ontarians. Expected to be completed by 2028, it will stand as UHN’s most significant project yet, revolutionizing surgical care and technology for patients in Toronto and beyond.

The donation is the largest single gift to date in UHN Foundation’s $300-million fundraising campaign for this project. In a joint statement, the families expressed their commitment to advancing healthcare in the community. “We are proud to contribute to such a momentous project that will help transform patient care in our community. We make this gift not only on behalf of our families, but on behalf and in honour of our larger HBNG family, to ensure that UHN can recruit and retain the very best surgical teams in the world by providing them with state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment,” the statement read.

Premier Doug Ford attended the event, thanking the HBNG Charitable Foundation and celebrating the partnership between public funding and private philanthropy. “This historic gift builds on our government’s $800-million investment, and will help provide high-quality health care for patients here in Toronto and from across Ontario,” Ford remarked.

The Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival, established by UHN trustee Todd Halpern, includes private dinners, wine tastings, and a live auction to support the UHN Foundation’s mission of enhancing healthcare through philanthropy.

Julie Quenneville, CEO of UHN Foundation, expressed deep gratitude for the families’ generosity, stating, “We are so grateful to the D’Angelo, Maio, and Memme families for their commitment to the well-being of our community, and for helping make UHN’s bold visions a reality. We hope their generosity inspires others to contribute to our mission of helping Canada’s #1 hospital reimagine healthcare.”

For more information about the project and ways to support, visit uhnfoundation.ca/surgicaltower.