Sarnia council is being asked Monday to "renew the process" of selling the abandoned Sarnia General Hospital site.
Staff are recommending that another request for proposals (RFP) be issued to gauge development interest in the Mitton St. property, except for the EMS lands. It's also proposed the sale of land bylaw and surplus asset disposal policy requirements be waived in disposing of the lands.
Mayor Mike Bradley says he thinks it's a step in the right direction.
"I think it's a forward move," says Bradley. "I've been urging council over this term that this council needs to deal with this issue. No matter what's happened with the legalities and the fact there's significant costs, the fact is this has become a huge liability, not just for that neighbourhood but for the community."
Bradley says he was pleased council accepted his recommendation at budget deliberations Tuesday to create a reserve fund, with an initial allocation of $200,000, for demolition of the hospital.
The Ontario Superior Court Of Justice ruled in May that the city is the owner of the building and care and maintenance of the site was assumed by the city in October.
The last time an RFP was issued for the site was in July 2014.
A development group proposed a $15-million health campus project, but the transaction didn't proceed because conditions in the offer weren't met within the time frame agreed upon.
