Sudbury

Brewer Lofts developer pushes ahead with model unit

The developer who wants to transform the old Northern Breweries building in Sudbury into residential lofts hopes a display suite will help get the project off the ground.

Greg Oldenburg confident project will go ahead, but only 12 of 50 units spoken for so far

Sudbury-born developer Greg Oldenburg owns the old Northern Breweries building and plans to transform it into residential lofts. (Erik White/CBC )

The developer who wants to transform the old Northern Breweries building in Sudbury into residential lofts hopes a display suite will help get the project off the ground. 

A model unit for The Brewer Lofts is now under construction inside the cavernous building on Lorne Street.

The hope is the model unit will help people envision themselves living inside the old brewery, said developer and owner Greg Oldenburg.

The entrance to the Brewer Lofts model unit now under construction inside the old Northern Breweries building in Sudbury. (Megan Thomas/CBC)

"There has been some skepticism by a variety of people in town," he said.

"The conceptual version of what a model is allows people to really see what they are telling them. Not all people can see in 3D and some like to see that it is actually happening."

Oldenburg said he remains confident the 50 loft development, which includes commercial space, will get built.

He said 12 units are spoken for so far, but he needs to sell about 35 to finance the start of construction.

Oldenburg said he also hopes to one day attract a brewery to the commercial area of the building, in keeping with the heritage of the site.

The residential loft units range in price from about $200,000 for 500 square feet to about $400,000 for 1000 square feet, he said.

Drawing by Quadrangle Architects with a vision for the former Northern Brewery on Lorne St. in Sudbury. (Supplied)