Troy Shantz
The last bricks came tumbling down at the former Sarnia General Hospital last week.
The final section fell 14 months after five local businessmen took ownership of the abandoned hospital, completing the next step in the redevelopment of the five and a half acre site in central Sarnia.
“It’s been a bittersweet process for us,” says Mark Lumley, one of the partners in GFive Inc.
“The buildings had to come down, but we recognize that it served the health needs of our community for most of the last century, and many spent their working careers there.
“It’s full of memories. We’re working to preserve those memories”
In 9-0 vote, council agreed last summer to sell the land to GFive for $1,000. In return, the city agreed to give the developers $5.4 million to raze, remediate and rebuild on the derelict site.
The still evolving plan calls for a mix of new housing, offices and possibly commercial space.
“We are looking forward to what the new development will bring to the Mitton village community, including much needed new residential housing along Essex and Bright Streets,” said Kenn Poore, another partner.
Now that the hospital building is down the site is being cleaned up. The recycling of building materials is expected to continue through the fall, with landscaping and new housing construction to begin in the new year.