Sudbury high-rise apartment tower expecting to go up a storey every week this summer

A giant crane continues to hover over a construction site in downtown Sudbury, Ont., where a highrise apartment is set to materialize this summer.

The Manitou Project is a 17-storey tower that will house 347 units intended for seniors and thanks to federal funding, 120 of them will be listed at 20 per cent below market rent.

"Well, I'm not sort of perfectly happy, because the weather hasn't been cooperating with us," said Montreal-based developer Jack Wolofsky.

"But every worker here feels they've got a real nice job they want to get built as quickly as possible."

The 94-year-old founder and CEO of Caneagle Developments expects that Sudburians will see a lot of progress over the summer. 

"I hope you'll see the centre core go up by about one floor every two days and the slabs at least one a week. By September, we hope to have basic structure complete," he said.

Wolofsky said they have four storeys complete so far and he hopes the first tenants will be able to move in sometime this winter.

He has owned the property for decades and the project was originally approved by Greater Sudbury city council in 2011 with three 17-storey apartment towers, including some meant to be condominiums.

The Manitou building is meant to feature a swimming pool and other amenities for seniors.

And Wolofsky is also looking at putting in a medical clinic, a pharmacy and is exploring the possibility of building a nursing home in the same area.