DiCenzo plans to build homes at former Cardinal Heights School site

Developer bought parcel for $5.2 million from board

THE OWNER of the former Cardinal Heights School property is looking to build a series of semi-detached homes on the roughly four acre site on the central Mountain.

Rather than rezoning the property, the plan is to build semi-detached units on the land, said Anthony DiCenzo, president of the DiCenzo group of companies.

City officials have confirmed the land is zoned for duplex dwellings along with single and semi-detached homes.

In June, the Cardinal Heights Development Corporation, part of the DiCenzo group, purchased the property from the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board for $5.2 million.

Cardinal Heights was closed in March last year and was deemed surplus by the school board. In May 2017, the property was circulated to preferred agencies for 180 days. When those groups, including the city, showed no interest in the site, trustees in February instructed board staff to put the property up for public sale.

DiCenzo said they are getting their application ready for city planners.

He could not say how many units are planned, only that they hope to begin construction next year. While the school building will be torn down, the company has yet to apply for a demolition permit.

Crews were at the school on Monday removing bricks from some of the outside walls. DiCenzo said the bricks had to be removed because there was a safety concern of them coming lose and falling.

“We thought it best to take care of the bricks that were falling off so we removed bricks from a couple of walls,” he said. “That was not demolition; that’s just taking the veneer off the building for safety reasons.”

On Wednesday, the Cardinal Heights Development Corporation was issued a notice to comply for demolition without a permit by the city.

The sale of the property caught board chair Todd White by surprise. He noted the agreement occurred after the board’s June meeting and the board does not meet in July and August.

White said the money from the sale will be added to the $100 million the board has set aside for school renovations.