Owners of former general hospital ordered to board up building

The company that owns the buildings and land comprising the old General and Plummer Hospital sites in Sault Ste. Marie has deployed property restoration crews to the property after being hit with a building code violation by city building officials.  

Chief building official Freddie Pozzebon confirmed with SooToday via email Monday that an order to remedy violation was issued to Leisure Meadows Community Living Inc. by the City of Sault Ste. Marie to secure the building and to cover up openings and busted windows. 

“The owner has hired Winmar property restoration specialists and city bylaw enforcement has had site meetings with the contractor prior to the start of the work and will be continuing to monitor the progress,” Pozzebon said. 

City council voted to look at tougher enforcement efforts at 941 and 955 Queen St. E. — including possible demolition — during a Dec. 12 council meeting.  

Demolition is estimated to cost about $6 million, with additional costs for expropriation, insurance and environmental liabilities. 

Woodbridge, Ont. developer Italo Ferrari — the general manager for Leisure Meadows Community Living Inc., and the public face and spokesperson for the former hospital properties — faced tough questioning from councillors during the same city council meeting as he acknowledged the ongoing problems at the waterfront site. 

Ferrari also managed to cause a stir during the council meeting when he likened a potential fencing-in of the former general hospital site to a “concentration camp” while answering questions from Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker about repeated break-ins at the waterfront buildings. The real estate developer would later apologize publicly for the “inappropriate and offensive” remarks.  

City council has heard that building officials ramped up enforcement activities in April 2022 and were actively visiting the sites on a weekly basis. 

The old general hospital site at 941 Queen Street East had 72 visits by bylaw enforcement officers between April and December of last year. The former Plummer renal unit at 995 Queen Street East had 36 visits within the same time span. 

The majority of the visits have been for boarding up the building or yard cleanup. 

The former hospital sites are owned by Leisure Meadows Community Living Inc., a corporation based in Vaughan, Ont. that lists Mike Anobile as president. Leisure Meadows purchased the properties in May 2019 for a combined $1.3-million, with plans to redevelop the waterfront land into condominiums and a long-term care facility.

The general hospital site and Doctor’s Building are currently listed by Westroy Assets Management Inc. — a company listing Anobile as its president and secretary — as a potential long-term care facility and a wellness centre for seniors. 

According to court documents obtained by SooToday, a mortgage provider on the vacant hospital properties took the property owners to court in September 2021, alleging non-payment on a $1.5-million mortgage. Land registry records show the mortgage was later discharged.

- with files from David Helwig