The new owner of the historic Middlesex County building at the Forks of the Thames is reassuring Londoners that preserving the site's heritage is a top priority.
Middlesex County officials revealed Wednesday they have entered into a conditional agreement with York Developments, a London-based firm, to sell the properties at 399 Ridout St. N and 50 King St.
"It is our number one priority to maintain the culture, the heritage, and the architecture of this building," said Ali Soufan, president of York Developments. "This existing building at 399 Ridout Street will maintain. We will enhance it, we will respect it and we will develop a mixed-use community around it that will compliment it, ultimately."
The Middlesex County building at 399 Ridout St.
Reminiscent of an ancient castle, 399 Ridout St. is one of the most recognizable buildings in London. It served as London’s courthouse from 1829-1974 and is the current home to Middlesex County's administrative offices. The building at 50 King St. currently houses the Middlesex London Health Unit.
The highly sought after real estate caught Soufan's eye in part due to revitalization projects already taking place downtown.
"There has been a shift over the last number of years where Fanshawe College made a great investment on the Dundas corridor, the City of London is implementing and constructing a flex-street on Dundas which is great," said Soufan. "The investment in Bud Gardens and the Covent Garden Market have anchored the downtown as a very fashionable spot to live, work, and play and we want to continue to build on those principles."
Soufan said plans for both properties are being finalized and wouldn't elaborate on his company's vision, other than stating it will be a "very large scale mixed-use development, with hopefully a public component."
Phase one of the development will begin at 50 King St. after the health unit relocates in early April 2020. The county will have four years to move its administrative services out of the Ridout St. space.
The Middlesex London Health Unit at 50 King St.
After years of rejecting unsolicited offers to buy the land, the county began accepting proposals for the properties in October. This is only the second time in the past two centuries the sites have been sold.
"Today is truly a historic day in the history of Middlesex County," said Kurtis Smith, the county's warden. “Today marks the next chapter in the growth and evolution of these important regional properties. County council is ecstatic to find the perfect development and construction partners that will not only preserve what our forefathers built, but will exponentially enhance the historic site through the investment that will once again make the forks of the Thames the economic centrepiece of the region."
The sale price of the properties was not disclosed on Wednesday. However, money from the deal will be reinvested back into the county's infrastructure and services, according to Middlesex County CAO Bill Rayburn.
