Should the Eastgate be demolished?

NEWS RELEASE

WARD 4 COUNCILLOR LORENA TRIDICO

***************************** Councillor Tridico hosts public consultation for development of Eastgate site

Ward 4 Councillor, Lorena Tridico will be hosting a public consultation on Monday, June 21 at 7 p.m. in the Russ Ramsay Room at City Hall.

The purpose of the consultation is to meet with and have discussion with community stakeholders regarding the possible purchase and/ or redevelopment of the Eastgate site (former Eastgate Hotel) located at 874 Queen Street East.

On May 31, several resolutions were presented to city council requesting the building be vested to the City, after an unsuccessful tax sale.

It was recommended to have the structure demolished at an estimated cost of minimum $250,000.

Also, there has been interest from an area business to utilize the site for a parking lot once the building is demolished.

As a result, a deferral motion was presented to council to by Councillors Tridico and Mick to allow for further public consultation.

“The City of Sault Ste. Marie has attempted to sell this property through the tax sale process, however they have been unsuccessful in doing so. I believe that as community leaders we have a responsibility to ensure that all avenues have been exhausted prior to spending a minimum of $250,000 of taxpayer money to demolish this site. Although there appear to be some issues with this location, it has been confirmed that the building is structurally sound and there is potential for development in this area.   "This location is situated in a prime downtown location with the potential of retail and or office space, and more importantly, has the potential for the creation of housing. Sault Ste. Marie is currently facing an affordable housing crisis and to ignore the possibility of creating these opportunities at the expense of the community is not only socially, but fiscally irresponsible.   "I believe that by bringing together community stakeholders for discussion, a positive resolution can be achieved,” states Councillor Lorena Tridico.   Councillor Tridico can be contacted at 253-3777.

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