Vacant buildings in downtown Sudbury could become residential units
A lot of buildings in downtown Sudbury are for sale, or are being sold, including a couple of bank buildings, a church and an old school.
Some could be converted into multi-unit housing, something currently needed in the city.
The Scotia Tower is listed for $6.75 million and Realtors confirm there is a conditional offer on it.
"It's an eight-story officer tower,” said Cassandra Beach of Royal Lepage Northern Heritage.
“There are multiple tenants right now but there is currently 80 per cent vacant. Last week, we received three multiple offers and the seller has chosen one that is currently conditional until April 13 and we are pending a closing date in early summer."
At this point, it's not known what the potential buyer's plans are for the tower. Realtors say many of the buildings for sale in the downtown area have the potential for a multi-residential conversion.
"We are sitting at a 2.1 vacancy rate for residential in Sudbury so there is a definitely a need for the housing a need for rental apartments," Beach said.
Sudbury Realtor Paul Kusnierczyk said the zoning downtown makes converting some of the buildings to residential use relatively straightforward.
Kusnierczyk is the listing broker on the Knox Church on Larch Street. He said a deal has been firmed up for just under $500,000.
It's expected to close in June, but plans for the building are not known at this time.
Kusnierczyk said a former school on Mackenzie Street also has the potential to become residential units.
And the former diocese building on St. Anne road is listed for $4.5 million and is being actively shown. Kusnierczyk expects some action on it shortly.
"There is all kinds of incentives that are available through the city,” he said.
“Plus all of these buildings that we just discussed are in an area where there is no development charges. Development charge free zones so there is lots of available incentives."
Both Realtors said they are currently working on some additional listings involving commercial buildings in the downtown area.
They expect them to hit the market in the coming weeks and months.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prison service to review decision to transfer killer Bernardo to medium security
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.

Poilievre threatens to filibuster budget bill if Liberals don't meet demands
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is threatening to use procedural tools to delay passage of the federal budget in the House of Commons if the Liberals don't meet his demands.
About ducking time: Apple to tweak iPhone autocorrect function
One of the most notable happenings at Apple's event for developers on Monday is likely the iPhone maker's tweak that will keep its autocorrect feature from annoyingly correcting one of the most common expletives to 'ducking.'
Here's what Quebec's wildfires look like from outer space
A photo taken from NASA show what the wildfires burning in Quebec look like from up above.
Facing evacuations due to a forest fire or flood? Here’s what to pack in a grab-and-go bag
While some natural disasters or bouts of extreme weather may require sheltering in place until authorities can restore power to the area, others require residents to evacuate quickly, sometimes in a matter of hours — and if you want to be prepared, you should create a grab-and-go bag.
Canada facing critical shortages of leukemia and thyroid cancer drugs
Canada is currently facing a critical shortage of drugs used to fight thyroid cancer and a form of leukemia.
Using melatonin for sleep is on the rise, study says, despite potential health harms
More and more adults are taking over-the-counter melatonin to get to sleep, and some may be using it at dangerously high levels, a study has found.
Small-brained ancient human cousins may have buried their dead, according to a surprising study
An ancient human cousin may have buried its dead and carved symbols into cave walls, surprising findings for a creature with a small brain.
Poor air quality, evacuations in multiple provinces due to wildfires
Wildfire smoke prompted warnings about poor air quality for many regions across the country, stretching from northern Alberta to the Atlantic.