Developer to turn classrooms into condo-apartments

Another old Sudbury school may be turned into housing.

The city's planning committee has approved a proposal to convert the old St. Denis School into 65 apartments.

Representing the developer, architect Michael Allen said at a meeting Monday night the building will be classified as condominium but the units will be rented, not sold.

Developer Panoramic Properties plans to do this for a few reasons, he said.

"It gives him better financial borrowing power with the banks and he has to maintain it has a condominium," Allen said of Panoramic Properties owner.

"It just gives a lot more strength and the building has to be maintained. It will never be run technically as a slum development."

Allen said construction at the old Regent Street school could begin as early as this year, however the proposal still needs to pass a vote at a regular Sudbury city council meeting.

Paolo Biondi was the only city resident to speak out Monday night against the plan to turn the school into apartments.

"Three floors is going to ruin my view," he said.

The developer, Panoramic Properties, is the same company that is converting the former Sudbury General Hospital on Paris Street into condominiums.