Work starts on converting downtown Sudbury office building into apartments

Work has started to convert a commercial building in downtown Sudbury into an 83-unit apartment complex.

Panoramic Properties is investing $19.8 million to convert the downtown Scotia Tower into apartments.

Last year, Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre said the city would give Panoramic $1.7 million to help develop the property if the company started work on demolishing the former general hospital, which it also owns.

Panoramic Properties is planning three towers at the former hospital location on Paris Street. One would contain 109 units for seniors and would include nursing stations and common spaces.

The other two would accommodate 421 condos and apartments.

Former city councillor Geoff McCausland, now the development and project manager with Mallette-Goring Real Estate, said both projects would be welcome additions for the city.

"There's lots of people looking for places to live right now, less than a one per cent vacancy rate," he said.

McCausland said he does not know the specific details of the Scotia Tower project, but said it appears to be an ideal building to convert into apartments.

"If you have the right shape of the building to have a double-loaded corridor, like a main corridor with space for two stairwells at either end and units all the way around, that's a slam dunk," he said.

"And it does look like that's what's possible at that location."

McCausland said he hopes projects like that one can help revitalize Sudbury's downtown core, which has seen some businesses shutter their doors as the city grapples with the addiction and homelessness crises that have affected many northern Ontario communities.

He expects Panoramic would charge market rates for the apartments, which is around $1,800 a month for a single-bedroom apartment and up to $2,500 a month for two-bedroom apartments.

The CBC asked to speak with Panoramic president Angelo Butera, but he was not made available.