The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) will carry out a study to determine the feasibility of converting part of the former Royal Victoria Hospital site into an inter-university campus.

The scenario would mainly include student residences, as well as a research hub, shops and offices, the Caisse said in a statement on Thursday. The analysis should take between 12 and 18 months.

Completion of the study does not guarantee that Ivanhoé Cambridge, the CDPQ’s real estate subsidiary, would be responsible for the project if it were to go ahead. It will be up to the government to decide whether to entrust it with the project.

The future of the former hospital has raised concern with Indigenous groups, who suspect there may be unmarked graves of children on the site. The Mohawk Mothers (kanien’kehá:ka kahnistensera) struck an agreement in April to put the construction on hold to allow for the search of unmarked graves.

The Legault government and the Caisse assure that the inter-university project would be done “with respect for the heritage of the buildings and nature, and in consultation with the community and the stakeholders.”