Committee OKs rezoning of former Sudbury hospital site

Sudbury OKs rezoning of former hospital A committee in Sudbury has approved a rezoning and an OP amendment to allow a residential development at the former hospital on Paris Street

Greater Sudbury's planning committee approved rezoning and official plan amendment for the former hospital in Sudbury at its meeting Monday.

Property owner Panoramic Properties plans to build three new buildings on the site, along with a restaurant and a three-storey underground parking garage.

Old Sudbury hospital The former hospital in on Paris Street in Greater Sudbury closed in 2010. (File)

Included in the plans is a 12-storey, 109-unit retirement home, along with a 16-storey building with 199 units and a 20-storey building with 222 units.

The 16-storey building would be rental units, mostly two-bedrooms, while the 20-storey building would be condominiums.

Plans also include a restaurant on the top floor of the 20-storey building and a café on the ground floor of the retirement home.

In total, 10 residents provided written statements during the second public hearing on the project and eight others spoke in person.

Among the questions that came up during the meeting were when the current building would be demolished and the timeline for the development.

Kevin Jarus, planning manager for Tulloch Engineering, said Panoramic wants to work its way through the planning process as soon as possible.

“Approximately one year of site plan control back and forth and approval building design (and) building designs would have to be then finalized," Jarus said.

"Building permit submissions would have to be made and approved with some back and forth. I'm sure with city building services and all of that, cumulatively would mean, a minimum of between one and two years before approval process would be in place to allow for development to occur."

When the entire process is taken into account, he said there is "still a hope to have shovels in the ground within the next five years."