Hospital sale final
News
Posted By MIKE WHITEHOUSE THE SUDBURY STAR
Updated 1 month ago
The former St. Joseph's health centre sold for $1.5 million, making final a deal negotiated between the Sisters of St. Joseph's of Sault Ste. Marie and Panoramic Properties in May.
Land transfer documents show the deal was completed Wednesday, as expected, between the Avila Foundation -- a Catholic charity to which the sisters transferred title of all its properties in 2001 -- and a numbered company belonging to the Butera Group, the parent company of Panoramic Properties.
The transfer brings to an end an after-the-fact attempt by the City of Greater Sudbury to purchase the 4.5-acre property carved out of Bell Park. Until the sisters received an unsolicited offer for the property in May, city officials believed it was the preferred buyer.
The $1.5 million the sisters received for the property is slightly more than the city informally offered the sisters for it in 2007.
That deal presumed the hospital would be torn down and the site left empty, something both parties understood the province would pay for as part of the decommissioning costs.
However, when the province changed the terms of that agreement, the sisters could no longer afford to demolish the building. Having not received an offer from the city for the property as is, the congregation of sisters were tempted by the only offer it had -- Panoramic Properties, a Niagara Fallsbased developer of apartments and condominiums.
Gord Drysdale, a candidate for Ward 7 and an advocate for the retention of the hospital property in public hands, said it's time to focus on stopping development of the property.
"I imagine (the developer) was down at city hall this morning looking for a zoning change," Drysdale said. "We must not allow that to happen."
Drysdale has poured over city planning documents from the past few decades and has found several committing the city to purchasing property around Ramsey Lake and Bell Park as it becomes available.
Still others make clear high-density residential developments are not suitable either near Bell Park or surrounded by the historic, low-density residential neighbourhood.
If a rezoning is granted for the hospital property, there's nothing to stop developers from assembling other nearby properties for apartment complexes and that would decimate the historic neighbourhood founded by William Joseph Bell, Drysdale said.
Ward 10 Coun. Frances Caldarelli said it's not certain the new owner will demolish the hospital. Rumours abound the developer will renovate the building to accommodate apartments.
Either way, it's a valuable property and it's regrettable that it slipped through the city's fingers, she said.
mwhitehouse@thesudburystar.com
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