THUNDER BAY -- The furnaces are still heating two former city-operated nursing homes in Thunder Bay, over a year after they were permanently closed because they no longer met provincial standards.
Both Dawson Court on North Algoma Street and Grandview Lodge on Lillie Street were decommissioned in early 2016 and put on the market last summer.
The two properties remain unsold, but listing agent Bob Pfaff says he’s encouraged by recent expressions of interest, and in particular by inquiries about Grandview Lodge. “We’ve had offers…There is currently an expression of interest in place on it, and they’re just working through their due diligence,” Pfaff told tbnewswatch.com.
Grandview, listed for $900,000, is a 810,000 square foot building on seven acres of property. Pfaff said it’s in an atttractive location, “surrounded by park and recreational facilities.”
Dawson Court is listed for $1.2 million and includes an 890,000 square foot building on nearly nine acres, with “a spectacular view of Lake Superior from all floors because of the height of land of Algoma Street relative to Court Street below.”
Pfaff said he continues to receive interest in Dawson Court as well, with the party he’s most recently dealt with still sorting out potential plans for the property and how much they would cost to carry out.
He said the interested buyers in both cases have indicated they would utilize the existing buildings rather than demolish them and build new structures.
“It’s not an easy re-purposing, but given the asking price, for what you’re getting and what you’re paying, certainly there’s lots of opportunity there,” he concluded.
Last March, city Realty Services Manager Joel DePeuter said both buildings could potentially be re-opened as a care home by another party, or converted to multiple-residential or commercial use.
A spokesperson for the City of Thunder Bay was unavailable for comment on the ongoing cost of upkeep for the two buildings, but their sale would no doubt come as a relief for cash-strapped City Hall.
Decommissioning the homes was expected by city officials to be revenue-neutral, but the municipality ended up with a $2.1 million bill for terminating employment contracts. To date it has been unable to recoup that money from the province.
