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Pine Street water tank to be demolished

The former Ash Street water tank, located on 332 Pine Street will be torn down. City council voted unanimously at the Jan.
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View of the water tower from Pine Street. The structure was built in 1946 and has been slated for demolition. Photo supplied by Google Maps.
The former Ash Street water tank, located on 332 Pine Street will be torn down.

City council voted unanimously at the Jan. 26 meeting in favour of a recommendation by the Heritage Committee to register the property as a listed structure, demolish it, put the information in the City of Greater City archives and convert the site into a public park with a historical plaque.

City staff will now put out a request for proposal (RFP) to find a company to tear it down.

Greg Clausen, general manager of infrastructure services with the City of Greater Sudbury, said when the RFP goes out, the cost of metal will be considered.

“We are hopeful that the cost of the value of the scrap metal will offset the price to take down the tank,” he said.

Clausen said $340,000 is put aside in the capital budget to demolish the water tank, but said the final cost to take down the tower will depend on the RFP's received.

Ward 8 Coun. Fabio Belli said he wanted to know if the tower could be sold as is, instead of the city paying to tear it down.

Doug Nadoronzy, CAO of the City of Greater Sudbury, said that option would be difficult to pursue.

“I think the concern with this site is that it's landlocked,” he said. “It has no access to a public road. So really it can only be sold to abutting landowners...we can't put it on the open market as such.”

Ward 4 Coun. Evelyn Dutrisac said it wasn't a simple decision to tear the tower down, but said she believed the Heritage Committee followed proper procedure.

“There are nine criteria that outline if this was a historical site or not and it had minimal value,” she said. “I agree with the decision. It was a democratic decision. Members of Heritage Committee participated in the decision, went through the criteria and decided that because of the minimal value, and the eyesore to the community to demolish it.”

Clausen said the goal is to have the water tank demolished by the end of the year.

The tank, constructed in 1946 became operational in 1948. It was decommissioned and disconnected from the water supply system in 1998.

For more on this story, check back to future editions of Northern Life.

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