GREATER SUDBURY, Ont. — Panoramic Properties has released preliminary drawings and some details regarding their intended redevelopment of the old hospital property on Paris Street.
In a media release issued Tuesday, the company announced the site will host three new buildings, including a 20-storey condominium, a 16-storey urban loft (rental) building and a 12-storey retirement residence.
In total, the site will include 222 condominium units, 199 apartments and 109 retirement guest suites.
A restaurant is proposed for the top floor of the condominium building, which would be open to the public, and “feature panoramic views of Ramsey Lake including amenities allowing for outdoor dining and private events on a covered rooftop terrace.”
A café is proposed for the ground floor of the retirement residence.
“The redevelopment is intended to bring renewed vibrancy and build upon the sense of place along the Paris Street corridor as new residents will be able to take advantage of the central location, proximity to amenities and services, and active transportation investments,” according to the media release.
“Our desire is to work in parallel with the City of Greater Sudbury to realize the true untapped potential of this site, its significance to the city, and Northern Ontario more broadly,” Panoramic Properties owner Angelo Butera said in the media release.
Butera added that he looks forward to working with the city’s elected officials and staff upon their receipt of official plan and zoning applications this year.
The media release makes note of three “new proposed buildings,” so it remains unclear whether any of the existing hospital building will be used in the construction.
The company’s proposed timeline for the project was also not included.
Panoramic Properties has owned the property since 2010, and in that time the building has remained vacant and their proposed condominium project of the day appeared to stall.
The building has been a point of public contention for several years. During Mayor Paul Lefebvre’s series of town hall-style meetings in various city wards earlier this year, the property came up just about every time.
During a meeting in Ward 1 in May, Lefebvre pledged, “In my term, something will happen.”
In 2019, Los Angeles-based muralist RISK, a.k.a. Kelly Graval, undertook a giant rainbow-coloured mural project along the west-facing side of the building during that year’s Up Here festival.
In June of this year, Up Here staff drafted an open letter clarifying that they believed the mural would be temporary, and that the structure would be demolished in 2020.
“The potential held within the old St. Joseph's Hospital is undeniable,” they wrote. “It has the capacity to play a pivotal role in addressing our pressing housing crisis while seamlessly connecting the downtown area with beautiful Bell Park. By transitioning it into a dynamic hub of creativity and cultural expression, all our lives would be greatly enriched.”
The long-vacant building, and its mural, have received a mixed review from area residents, whose general consensus has been that they’d like to see something finally take place with the property.
Sudbury.com has reached out to Panoramic Properties for additional insight on their proposal, including its timeline, units' price range, and the potential incorporation of the old hospital structure.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Village Media's Sudbury.com.
