Mayor Mike Bradley says city council has to proceed as quickly as possible with the demolition of the abandoned Sarnia General Hospital and deal with outstanding legal issues at the appropriate time.
He wants the issue dealt with at the December 6 budget meeting after vandals are believed to have set fire to a room on the third floor of the Mitton St. building late Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters from four stations and two ladder trucks responded.
"This hospital site cannot continue to be in the situation where it is," says Bradley. "It's an eyesore and is damaging the neighborhood. It's jeopardizing the lives of firefighters and police officers every time they have to respond to an incident there. Because of the asbestos inside, it is a major occupational health and safety issue. Council must make this a priority beyond what I consider some much lesser priorities they're dealing with."
In May, the Ontario Superior Court Of Justice ruled the city is the owner of the building and the municipality is pursuing compensation after the court recognized it suffered a loss as a result of hospital activities on the property. The city was going to file a new claim, seeking yet unspecified damages.
The estimated cost of demolition has ranged from $3-million to $8.8-million with the province offering to contribute only $75,000.
