The city's legal and building staff will ask for permission Monday to seek funds for a final crackdown on the old Sault Area Hospital site.
City solicitor Karen Fields and chief building official Freddie Pozzebon will ask city council to green-light additional, tough-as-nails enforcement efforts at 941 and 995 Queen St. E., including possible expropriation and demolition.
"It is estimated as of today to be in the range of $6 million to demolish the two properties," Fields and Pozzebon say in a report prepared for Mayor Shoemaker and councillors.
"That cost will increase over time. Even if the city does not own the property but decides to demolish it, the costs will be incurred by the city," the report says.
If it decides to go that route, the city faces additional costs for acquiring legal ownership of the two hospital properties, insurance, and possible environmental liabilities.
"There is the likelihood of environmental contamination that would have to be dealt with," the Fields-Pozzebon report states.
"Given that these corporations are likely asset free, the opportunity to recover any of our costs will be difficult if not impossible."
"Should the city decide to go through the process of expropriating the property, the cost would include the cost to litigate it, the fair market value price of the land, and legal fees of legal counsel."
"The financial implications of acquiring these properties would be great but cannot at this time be estimated until we know which avenue city council wishes to pursue."
Monday's city council meeting will be live-streamed on SooToday starting at 4:30 p.m.