A capacity crowd packed out an auditorium at Bermuda College last night as the Bermuda Hospitals Board sought to justify building a new hospital at the Botanical Gardens.

The 200-plus seats at the lecture hall were filled, with dozens standing at the back, despite a last-minute change of venue being announced.

Although no announcement was made during the meeting, BHB chairman Anthony Richardson said after later talks that the second in the series of meetings today will also be moved from the current hospital to the College.

When Shadow Minister of Health Louise Jackson called at one point during yesterday?s meeting for those opposed to building on the gardens to raise their hands, virtually all shot up. A petition set up at the meeting for those opposed to building on the gardens gained 140-plus signatures by the end of the evening.

In answer to questions about why the new hospital could not be rebuilt on the current site including the recently-bought Springfield area, Raymond Moldenhauer of Cannon Designs said this would mean a taller building on a smaller area.

He said this would limit it to one nursing unit per floor whereas it would be ?ideal? to have facilities such as emergency surgery and imaging on one floor.

Echoing an earlier pledge from Premier Alex Scott that the new hospital would incorporate green space into the design, he added: ?No matter which site you intend to build on, you have the opportunity to integrate the healing facility of the garden into your healthcare system.?

One man took the opportunity to tell the panel why he believed the hospital should be rebuilt on the current site.

?The Botanical Gardens is our Central Park. It?s the foremost sanctuary of natural beauty. We are becoming Manhattan and we need to save our Central Park,? he added. He declared that the plan to build on the Botanical Gardens was ?an assault on our heritage?.

Another member of the audience asked: ?Why was the Botanical Gardens on the table in the first place if this Government is committed to sustainable development??

In answer to questions about alternative sites, Mr. Richardson said the Arboretum was rejected because it was thought the existing Police Headquarters and Prospect and National Stadium could cause access problems.

Referring to words from the Premier earlier this week that the decision to build on the gardens could be reversed in the face of overwhelming opposition, Mr. Richardson said: ?He wants us to go away and do some additional work and come back again. This is part of the consultation process.?

Bob Steinhoff, president of the Zoological Society, questioned: ?Do you expect to raise money from the public (for the project) if you build on the Botanical Gardens.??

In response to this, and another question about whether a more costly rebuild could be done on the same site with donations from international business, Mr. Richardson said the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust had concluded that the most that could be raised over five years was $25 million.

Venetta Symonds, Deputy CEO of the BHB said that although a ?conceptual plan? had been prepared for a rebuild on the same site: ?It?s a question of whether the Island can afford it.?

She said that a financial cap had been put on the project and that services would have to be cut if the costlier option was chosen.

Speaking after the meeting, Fiona Doe, a self-employed horticulturist and tree surgeon said: ?It was worth attending to hear from the board themselves ? their side of the story.?

Explaining she would like to see the hospital rebuilt on the current site she said: ?I?m 40, self employed and on HIP. I?m willing to see my payroll tax increase (to achieve that.) It?s pristine open space.?

The meeting today will be held at the North Hall Auditorium at Bermuda College from 5.30 until 7 p.m. Mr. Richardson said it was not yet certain whether the meeting on Saturday from 10 a.m until 11.30 a.m would also be at that venue, this is likely to be confirmed today.