Would you live at Kingston Pen? Notorious Kingston Penitentiary available for future housing

The federal government has included the infamous Kingston Pen on its list of lands that could be developed into housing. CTV's Dylan Dyson reports.

You could one day live in a home at the Kingston Penitentiary, the former maximum-security prison that housed some of Canada’s most notable inmates in Kingston, Ont.

The federal government announced six new properties have been added to the Canada Public Land Bank, a list of federal properties that have the potential for housing.

“Wherever possible, the government will turn these properties into housing through a long-term lease, to support affordable housing and ensure public land stays public,” Public Services and Procurement Canada said in a media release.

One of the properties added to the list on Thursday is the Kingston Penitentiary, located at 560 King Street West. According to the Canada Public Land Bank, there is 10 hectares of land available.

A spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos confirms the building will be available for housing.

“On the more specific project, that will depend on the proposal we receive to develop the current building, and the land around it,” the spokesperson said.

The Kingston Penitentiary, known as the ‘Kingston Pen,’ housed some of Canada’s most notable inmates over its 178 years. It was originally constructed in 1833-1834, and opened its doors on June 1, 1835. The federal government announced in 2012 the prison was closing due to aging infrastructure, and it closed on Sept. 30, 2013.

The more notable inmates at Kingston Penitentiary included Paul Bernardo, Clifford Olson, Russell Williams, Wayne Boden and Marie-Anne Houde.

Tours are now offered of Kingston Pen.

Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson says the penitentiary is an important piece of the city’s economy today.

“Kingston Penitentiary is a very important asset for our community. It’s very important for tourism and for film. So, certainly, from our perspective, we’d want to make sure that any new uses for housing wouldn’t interfere with those other very, very important uses for the property,” he said.

“I understand that there’s a process looking at potential housing options, but the tourism and the film components are vital. That’s just been a tremendous asset, an opportunity for our community. It’s brought millions of dollars and impact to our city over the years.”

Paterson said there are other federal properties in Kingston that the government could turn into housing that would not be as “complicated” as the Kingston Pen.

A total of 90 federal properties across Canada have been identified as suitable to support housing, including three in Kingston.

The two other properties on the Canada Public Land Bank in Kingston are St. Helen’s Complex at 440 King Street West, which is a collection of five buildings. The other property, owned by Correctional Service Canada, is 525 King Street West, which once housed a former official residence of the Deputy Warden at Kingston Penitentiary and then a women’s prison.

Ottawa Central Heating Plant

The federal government added the Central Heating Plant in Ottawa to the Canada Public Land Bank, the 33rd property federal property available in Ottawa.

The Central Heating Plant, owned by Public Services and Procurement Canada, is on 0.68 hectares of land on Alta Vista Drive in Ottawa.

The main building on Alta Vista Drive is also available.

--With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Dylan Dyson