No set timelines yet to redevelop former Sudbury hospital

While it won’t be 10 years, redeveloping the former hospital in Greater Sudbury will take some time, city council was told Monday.

“It will certainly not be 10 years, given the process that has to be followed,” said Kevin Jarus, Tulloch Engineering planning manager.

“The hope is that this can certainly be under construction within five years or less.”

Jarus was appearing at the city’s planning committee, the first of a two-part process to get approval for the redevelopment.

Owner Panoramic Properties plans to develop three buildings, which consist of more than 500 units and including apartments, condominium units and retirement guest suites.

The development is more than a decade in the making, with initial plans for the property delayed by planning appeals and changing market conditions.

The building was in the news again when a local arts festival commissioned an artist to use the building to create the world’s largest mural.

Since then, however, the colours have run on the mural and calls have grown louder for the work to begin on the property.

Panoramic finally announced redevelopment plans in August 2023.

Monday’s meeting was the first step in getting city planning approvals.

“First thing I’d like to say: Hallelujah,” Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann told Jarus.

“We’ve been waiting for this for a very long time.”

She tried to pin down construction details, but Jarus said it was too early.

“I do not have a definitive timeline,” he said.

“Again I reiterate though that the owner’s desires, if the process was so kind as to allow it, he would be starting construction tomorrow.”

Once construction begins, however, he said it would take 18 months to two years to complete.

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox