Old brewery proposed as location for Sudbury’s new art gallery

A vacant building more than a century old in Sudbury is being proposed as the location for a new art gallery.

Formerly known as Northern Breweries, the building was built in 1907 and has been closed since 2006 due to competition and a changing industry.

Greg Oldenburg has been trying to develop a condominium project, The Brewer Lofts, for more than a decade at the Lorne Street location.

Oldenburg said a number of hurdles prevented him from converting the old brewery into a residential site.

“Some of the hurdles were bureaucracy, some of them COVID and the interest rate changes that made it sort of more difficult to consider moving forward,” he said.

After Greater Sudbury paused plans for developing Junction East downtown, Oldenburg is promoting the brewery as an ideal location for the art gallery.

“This building, when you look at it and see it, it lays out like an art gallery,” Oldenburg said.

“It feels like an art gallery.”

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He said his proposal would be to double the five-storey building and increase residential units. With an estimated price tag of $30 million, Oldenburg said he’s been in talks with city councillors on how to cut some of the costs.

“We’re going to be donating $1 million in real estate to the project. We’re also going to contribute $300,000 loft in the building in the art gallery to create an artisan residence,” he said.

Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti said Oldenburg’s idea is in the very early stages.

“Right now it’s an idea and council as a whole will make a decision on steps moving forward,” Signoretti said.

Oldenburg said he believes it makes sense to turn the building into an art gallery.

“It’s not like we have to build a brand new building that has 20-foot ceilings or 40,000 square feet. That building already exists,” he said.

In a statement to CTV News, the Art Gallery of Sudbury said it is honouring the current commitments made to its partnership with the City, the Greater Sudbury Public Library and the Multicultural and Folk Arts Association.

“It is pre-emptive to begin exploring options and touring other locations before the city staff report is made available,” the statement said.

Council will discuss the idea in June.