Despite the reservations of one of its members, North Bay City Council has granted another three-year extension to the company planning to build on the former Scollard site of the North Bay General Hospital.
For the second time in three years, Greater Sudbury company ARG Devco received such an extension, this one valid until May 30, 2025, for the proposed project's Draft Approved Plan of Subdivision and Draft Plan of Condominium.
See related: Company requests extension for stalled housing development on former Civic Hospital site
"This is one that bothers me the most," shared Coun. Bill Vrebosch during Council's most recent meeting. "I'm glad staff has got a hold of it. Basically, what we have is a very valuable piece of land and we're looking for housing all over the place."
A three-year extension was also granted to ARG Devco in 2019. It would have expired this May 30. Section 51(33) of the Planning Act allows City Council to “extend the approval for a time period specified by the approval authority and may further extend it, but no extension is permissible if the approval lapses before the extension is given.”
According to the associated staff report, since approval in 2014, "the agent for the property has stated they are continuing to work through the approval process with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Parks. They are of the opinion that they are making progress towards completing the Record of Site Condition, but it will not be completed prior to the expiry of the Draft Subdivision and Condominium approvals."
Senior Planner Peter Carello writes, "It is staff’s opinion that the ongoing work on the Record of Site Condition is proof of the property owner’s continued intention of developing the subject lands as soon as possible."
Vrebosch continued, "Extending this, I guess, is OK with staff because [this land] is going through [a process to address] environmental concerns."
See related: Council approves plan for old hospital site development
ARG Devco initially planned a 48-home development — 11 detached homes, eight semi-detached dwellings and 29 condominiums — on the 5.3-acre former Civic Hospital property bounded by Scollard Street, Browning Street, Vimy Street and Beattie Street. The land was purchased in 2011 when services were consolidated at the new North Bay Regional Health Centre and the old Civic Hospital was demolished in 2013. The property, located in a residential neighbourhood featuring predominantly single-dwelling homes has been fenced off and left vacant since.
The redevelopment was met with debate in council chambers and resistance from nearby property owners and the applications by the developer were eventually appealed in 2014 to the then-Ontario Municipal Board — now known as the Ontario Land Tribunal. The OMB allowed the project to move forward but made a Record of Site Condition a requirement.
"Here is a piece of land, right in the middle of the city, that could be used for housing, and I'm kind of half and half on this one," added Vrebosch. "I want to see this developed."
The other North Bay General site on McLaren Street, also known as St. Joseph's Hospital, was demolished in 2012. Northern Heights Care Community is under early construction on that site and is expected to welcome long-term care residents and staff from Waters Edge in 2023. The developer purchased both former hospital sites for $5,000 but was also responsible for the demolition costs, estimated at the time to have a price tag of up to $4 million.
BayToday's request for an updated timeline for the redevelopment of the Civic site from ARG Devco was not returned.
