Owner will clean up Flour Mill eyesore

BY TRACEY DUGUAY

A Flour Mill eyesore may soon be a thing of the past after the owner of the property became aware of its deteriorating condition.

Northern Life was contacted Tuesday by a representative of Sudbury-based Alexander Centre Industries Limited (ACIL), which owns the property surrounding an abandoned cement factory that was the focus of two articles by this newspaper last week.

“I read [Northern Life’s] articles and contacted the councillor and city representatives,” said Mac Sinclair, a lawyer with the firm Sinclair and Sinclair.

“We’re going to have the property assessed to determine what has to be done to clean it up and then we’ll go ahead and do it.”

The property surrounding the building was being used as an illegal dumping ground for industrial and residential waste.

The abandoned building was a popular party spot for local teens and a temporary shelter for the city’s homeless.

Ward 12 Councillor Joscelyne Landry-Altmann called the area a “disgrace” after seeing photos  in Northern Life and vowed to make sure the property was clean up. At that time, she didn’t know who the owner of the abandoned building was.

“I was contacted by the solicitor for the owners of the cement plant. They will assess the area and proceed to clean it up,” said Landry-Altmann Wednesday.

“I have been assured that it will be done in a timely fashion…as efficiently and safely as possible. Rest assured I will be keeping tabs on this.”

Sinclair said the owners have made attempts to “fence off” part of the property, but sooner or later, it’s always torn down. It’s difficult to monitor the area because of its location, and the fact the property is used at night.

Following the assessment of the property, the owner will determine whether the large free-standing building will be left standing or if it will be demolished.

“The question would be:  is that an appropriate part of the cleanup or would it be better to leave [the building] up,” Sinclair said. “If you leave something up like that and you know that there is traffic around, then there’s some risk to the public at large. Who would assume that risk?”

Sudbury entrepreneur and businessman Clifford Fielding, who died in 2004, started ACIL, which is now owned by members of his surviving family. Fielding bought the property in the late 1950s and operated a company called Mallard Ready-Mix, a concrete plant, at that location.