Condo developers ready to 'get moving'

Some high-profile condo projects in Sudbury are about to materialize as construction season gets underway, while others are waiting until next year.

The architect working on the old General Hospital in the city’s downtown said there are already 50 names on a waiting list for a 210 condominium project being put together by Panoramic Properties.

"This summer you will see action," said Michael Allen. "You're going to see a lot of dramatic change here."

Sudburians won't even recognize the old General Hospital by the end of the year, he noted.

Even with a growing waitin list, Allen said the "magic number" for a developer — the cost of each condo — has yet to be worked out.

"It's not necessarily the condo market per se, because the demand is very good and very strong in Sudbury and right down into Toronto," he said. "Part of the challenge is the construction logistics."

While there hasn’t been much change in terms of construction on the former hospital, Allen said they’ve been doing environmental assessments and reviews and clean-up as they go along.

"Hopefully, within the next 3-4 weeks we're going to start demolition on the building and at least get something moving here," he said.

Gauging demand

Just up Paris Street, another condo project that got a lot of attention a few years ago was a plan for three towers on a hill overlooking the downtown.

Developer Bryan Wolofsky said he’s received a lot of calls from impatient Sudburians.

"And the answer has been … I assure you, we're working on it," he said.

There'll be no construction this year, but Wolofsky said he hopes to open a sales office in the fall and then determine exactly how high his high rises will be.

"The ultimate decision will be after we open the sales office," he said, "[Then] we'll see what the demand is."

Wolofsky said he wants 60 per cent of the units to be sold before building, so he doesn't get stuck with a 17-storey shell.

3D sketches of three-tower condominium project near Paris Street in Sudbury