Fencing has gone up around the former Sarnia General Hospital site, in advance of the city closing the sale with a group of five local businessmen.
Firefighters will be going into the Mitton St. building on Thursday to ensure there are no squatters inside prior to the transfer, which is expected to take place in the next couple of days.
Sarnia City Solicitor Scott McEachran is happy to see movement on the property.
"This issue has been going on for over three years now, so it's going to be great to see this closed and to see abatement and demolition begin," says McEachran. "They're going to start immediately on the abatement, that will take a few months. The demolition, I believe, will last right into next summer."
GFIVE Inc.'s proposal includes a multi-faceted development including residential and commercial components, and possible construction of a new Withdrawal Management Centre proposed by Bluewater Health.
The city will borrow externally to pay the buyers $5.35-million toward remediation and demolition.
The derelict building has been sitting empty since it closed in late 2011.
