Former Northern Breweries building in Sudbury for sale again

About a decade after plans were announced to convert it into condominiums, the former Northern Breweries building on Lorne Street is for sale again, this time for $1.95 million.

The listing mentions plans for the Brewers Lofts, the ambitious plan to convert the old brick building into about 50 high-end condos, first unveiled in 2014 by developer Greg Oldenburg.

Construction of the building itself dates to 1908 and the company operated as Doran Northern Breweries until it was purchased by employees in 1977, becoming the first employee-owned brewery in North America.

But the company fell on hard times at the turn of the century and was millions in debt in 2006 when the brewery formally stopped operations. Failed attempts to revive the business led to a tax sale and Oldenburg’s eventual acquisition of the property for less than the $850,000 asking price.

But after announcing the condo plan, Oldenburg struggled to raise money to proceed with the renovation. In 2017, he applied for $9.5 million from the city in the form of tax relief, fee rebates and a $4.5 million loan.

That request was rejected, but in 2019 the city agreed to provide grants and loans worth $4.1 million over 10 years, contingent on the project progressing to certain benchmarks, such as the building permit stage, which didn’t happen.

• Download the CTV News app now and get local alerts on your device
• Get local breaking news and updates sent to your email inbox

The building was first listed for sale in 2018 for $1.25 million. The most recent listing of the 2.1-acre property promoted the Brewer’s Loft condo development as a major selling point.

“The property is exempt from development charges, has been approved for a tax increment equivalent grant program worth up to $4.1 million and has access to other (city) grants,” the listing said.