Estevan's new nursing home will be approximately twice the size as was initially anticipated, Estevan MLA Lori Carr confirmed Monday night.

Carr spoke to Estevan City Council Monday and was asked for an update on the progress of the new facility.

"The needs assessment has been completed and the bed count is much greater than what we had anticipated," Carr said. "Obviously people are living longer than they ever have before...we're healthier. So that's a factor also."

Carr said the next step in the process is the business plan, which should be completed by late fall.

"What that's going to look at is the location of the facility, whether we're going to attach it to the hospital, is it going to go across the road...what is that going to look like?

"And then hopefully, the request for proposals will go out as long as everybody agrees on the path forward, and hopefully shovels in the ground next after that," Carr continued.

Carr said it's exciting given how long people have been waiting. The project was announced roughly two years ago.

She added that there will be a need for more fundraising with the size increase.

"Community share is 20 per cent, so obviously it's a much larger facility, it's going to cost more to build, so there will be more fundraising that will have to take place," Carr said. "We don't have to have all of the funds in place to continue on with the steps that we're doing, they can happen lockstep. And even if we're building and the funding isn't complete at that point in time, we would just continue until our commitment is met."

"It won't stop progression of the project."