A little more than a year after its closure due to repair issues, Laurentian University said it will be selling the historic Bell Mansion.
The university’s board of governors passed a motion regarding the future of the building at 251 John St., which has been the home of the Art Gallery of Sudbury for many years, in the closed session of their Oct. 18 meeting.
The historic century-old stone building, located near Sudbury's lakefront, has been owned by the university since 1968.
The minutes of the Oct. 18 meeting have just been made public as part of the package for the Dec. 13 board of governors meeting.
According to the minutes, at that meeting Laurentian's vice-president of finance and administration, Sylvie Lafontaine, told those in attendance that “following a thorough assessment of the work to be remediated at this university-owned property since its October 2023 closure, and the costs associated with remediation work, the sale of the property was being recommended as the most prudent and fiscally responsible option.”
The motion passed by the board of governors was to “approve the initiation of the process to dispose of the Bell Mansion.”
Sudbury.com reached out to Laurentian University, requesting an interview with LU president Lynn Wells or another appropriate administrator on the topic.
We were instead sent an internal university memo attributed to Wells, which was sent out Dec. 9.
“At a meeting in October, the Laurentian University Board of Governors approved a motion to sell the Bell Mansion, pending approval from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities,” said the memo.
It also noted that the sale cannot take place until May 30, 2025, as per an agreement between Laurentian and the Art Gallery of Sudbury, reached during LU’s insolvency restructuring.
“The Bell Mansion, adjacent to Bell Park, is a historic building which was gifted to Laurentian University in 1968 and has housed the Art Gallery of Sudbury in recent years,” said the Laurentian statement.
“The Art Gallery of Sudbury is also currently exploring its relocation to the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square.
“While the Bell Mansion holds significant historical value, the minimum costs required to repair it for occupancy far exceed what the university can responsibly invest. At this time, our resources must be focused on enhancing academic programs, student services, and campus infrastructure.
“The board’s decision reflects our shared commitment to prioritizing the student experience and ensuring the sustainability of our institution. Thank you for your understanding and support as we move forward together.”
Art Gallery of Sudbury director/curator Demetra Christakos said in an email to Sudbury.com that the gallery was just informed of this decision on Dec. 6.
She too pointed to the 2022 agreement between Laurentian and the art gallery, which means the gallery is only entitled to inhabit the Bell Mansion until May 30, 2025.
“You may recall that the gallery had little choice in being bound by the Minutes of Settlement,” said Christakos.
That settlement includes the following clause: “Laurentian is free to sell the Bell Mansion provided that any closing date for such sale is not prior to the Vacate Date, and the AGS undertakes not to take any steps to impede or contest the sale.”
She provided further context to the Laurentian statement, saying the Bell Mansion actually housed the Laurentian University Museum and Arts Centre (LUMAC) from 1968 to 1997.
In 1997, LUMAC incorporated independently (at Laurentian University's behest) as the Art Gallery of Sudbury.
Since 1997, the gallery continued to operate out of 251 John St. — that is, for the interceding 27 years.
The 100-year-old Bell Mansion structure was closed in October 2023 because it was no longer safe in its current state of repair.
In December of last year, Laurentian received a consultants’ report that said the repair work would take a little more than five weeks to complete.
Sudbury.com received a copy of that report in July through a freedom of information request, although costs were redacted.
Laurentian University was publicly close-lipped about the art gallery situation, issuing only brief statements on the matter to Sudbury.com throughout most of 2024.
But in September, we sat down for a one-on-one interview with Laurentian president Lynn Wells to ask her about the art gallery, among other matters.
“We're not in a position right now to do the fairly substantial maintenance that is required on the Bell Mansion,” said Wells, who contended that repairs to the facility were not the responsibility of the university.
Sudbury.com also asked Wells if she could provide a cost estimate for the Bell Mansion repairs, as that information was redacted in the report we received. “I’d rather not do that,” she said.
In March, Laurentian University also sold its historic president’s home, located at 179 John St., on the same street as the Bell Mansion, for $925,179.
The proceeds from the president’s home sale will go into the distribution pool to pay creditors stemming from LU’s 2021-2022 insolvency.
Sudbury.com reached out to Laurentian, asking what will be happening to the proceeds from the eventual sale of the Bell Mansion. "Further discussion with the ministry will be required to determine how the proceeds from the sale will be used," said an email from Laurentian's communications department.
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.
