Former Ledo Hotel could become housing for the homeless after redevelopment plan fails
After an ambitious redevelopment plan failed, the owner of the former Ledo Hotel in downtown Sudbury is looking at other options.
In fall 2020, a group emerged proposing to rename the complex 'Le Ledo' and turn the building into a 150,000-square-foot office tower.
But the building's owner said Monday that’s no longer happening.
"All of their options for purchasing have expired, so as far as I’m concerned, that project's dead," said George Soule.
A month after the Le Ledo announcement, the building was closed due to safety issues following a small fire.
Soule said at the time, it was easier to keep the building closed than fix it. Now with the sale to developers falling through, he said it's time to take another approach.
"Back to the basics," said Soule. "Low-income, small units --there’s 27 that could be ready probably in six months with an architect … and then another 20 units within two years."
Converting the Ledo into transitional housing will cost at least $5 million, Soule said.
"The process right now is to go after CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) funding because it's very difficult to fund a project like this -- extremely difficult," he said.
"CMHC funding, we’re competing with all of Canada and so any support that I can get behind this project, that’s what we’re actively doing now. I’ve hired a person … who has experience with CMHC funding. I’ve hired a cost estimator, so we’re moving along the project that way."
Soule has the support of Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc, who said it's a significant opportunity to address the city's homelessness problem -- right beside where other key services are offered.
"We as a city cannot solve this issue on our own," Leduc said. "We need to bring in developers, independent individuals to help solve this issue."
He said he’s hopeful a partnership can be quickly established between Soule and the city.
"I think we, as council and city staff, can move this along properly and hopefully see this come to fruition over the next year two years even," he said.
There are local funds available to redevelop such properties, Leduc said, such as façade funding and five-year tax deferrals.
The investment group behind the Junction East project said in a news release a motion to be presented at city council Tuesday night has added another layer of uncertainty to how it will proceed.
The group said it's not commercially reasonable to continue to the next stage until the proposed new downtown library and art gallery are confirmed to be moving ahead.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.