Sudbury approves demolition permit for former St. Joseph’s Hospital

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Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre announced Friday that the city has officially issued a demolition permit for the former Sudbury General Hospital.

“I am very pleased to announce that the city of Greater Sudbury, this morning, has officially issued a demolition permit for the former Sudbury General Hospital,” Lefebvre said at a press conference Friday morning, with city officials saying the decision marks a significant step in reshaping the city’s skyline.

City pressures developer for timely action

The mayor emphasized the city’s eagerness to see the “decrepit building” removed, noting that officials have been working closely with the Niagara-based developer, Panoramic Properties, which also owns the Scotiabank Tower downtown.

Lefebvre explained the city’s leverage in ensuring progress.

“The demolition permit is only good for 12 months,” he said. “So they’ve got to get going, and then the CIP financing or support for the downtown Scotiabank building is tied to the demolition, and that will expire next summer as well.”

A polarizing landmark with a complex history

The former St. Joseph’s Health Centre has been a contentious topic since its closure in 2010. Panoramic Properties initially purchased the site with plans for housing, receiving city council approval for condominium developments in 2012. However, little progress was made until 2019, when the building was transformed into the world’s largest mural during the UpHere Festival.

The festival organizers expressed surprise at the prolonged delay in demolition.

“When we agreed to transform the old St. Joseph’s Hospital into Canada’s largest mural in 2019, we were under the impression the building would be demolished the following year,” they stated. What was intended as a vibrant farewell has since faded, with many residents now calling the structure an “eyesore.”

Community reactions mixed but leaning toward demolition

Local residents shared mixed feelings about the building’s impending demolition. Lucille Quesnelle acknowledged the sentimental value but supported its removal.

“There are a lot of memories with the old hospital. But I am glad to see it finally coming down,” she said. “It’s overdue.”

Jasmine MacNeil echoed concerns over safety.

“I feel like it needs to go. It’s been broken windows. We’ve been hearing of lots of people getting in there,” she said. “It’s just dangerous and a hazard to the society.”

Revised development plans for the site

In 2023, Panoramic Properties announced new plans to demolish the building and construct three residential towers with over 500 units. While the company did not respond to CTV News inquiries, Ward 10 Councillor Fern Cormier confirmed ongoing discussions.

“Original plans that were submitted by the developer at the time, I guess, weren’t completely consistent with their long-term vision,” he said. “They’ve rehashed those, they’ve redeveloped them and redesigned them into what will be three residential towers, here on this site.”

Safety concerns and future policies

The vacant building has posed significant safety risks, including a recent tragedy in May when a man’s body was found inside, followed by a suspicious fire days later.

Lefebvre acknowledged the dangers, saying, “That (building) poses safety issues, but also it’s a blight on our community.”

He also addressed the need for policy changes to prevent similar situations.

“We’re certainly aware of the ramifications of keeping this type of property vacant for this long,” said Lefebvre. “That’s why we’re moving forward with different policies that we are examining to make sure that doesn’t happen again

Timeline and developer accountability

While the city hopes demolition will be completed within a year, Cormier noted that the municipality’s role is limited in enforcing exact timelines.

“When it comes to things like this, what the city can do is create the environment where developers can succeed,” he said. “We can’t necessarily force them to start a project when we would like.”

However, discussions with Panoramic Properties indicate that construction on the residential towers will commence once demolition is finished.

Addressing Greater Sudbury’s housing crisis

The new development aligns with the city’s goal of improving housing availability. Cormier highlighted the urgent need for more units, citing a one per cent vacancy rate for one-bedroom apartments.

“By getting our numbers up, what we want to see is roughly a vacancy rate of between four and five per cent to create some decent competition where landlords can still profit, but rents can become a little bit more affordable,” he said.

Mayor Lefebvre expressed confidence that Sudbury will exceed provincial housing targets with upcoming projects like this one.

The demolition of the former hospital marks not just the end of an era but the beginning of a new chapter in the city’s housing strategy as those who have followed the building’s saga since the hospital’s closure.