Northern Ontario property developer purchases Sudbury's Bell Mansion for $1.25M

Jonathan Migneault · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 03, 2025 11:32 AM EST | Last Updated: November 3

Laurentian University has sold the historical Bell Mansion to a section Sudbury developer for $1.25 million.

The assemblage listed the building, which antecedently served arsenic location to the Art Gallery of Sudbury, pursuing an insolvency successful 2021.

Earlier this year, Laurentian finalized a $53.5-million woody with the state to merchantability respective buildings connected campus, including helium East Residence building, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine building, and a information and attraction gathering (along with the adjacent parking lots).

Devla Properties Inc, which is owned and operated by section developer Peter Nault, bought the Bell Mansion.

In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson for Devla Properties said the squad is "deeply committed" to preserving and restoring the building.

"We person engaged experienced practice consultants from Toronto to supply adept guidance arsenic we make a broad restoration connection that reflects some the building’s humanities value and its enduring worth to the community," the connection said.

The institution added that its connection to reconstruct the gathering remains successful the preliminary stages.

Devla created a caller corp called Belrock Mansion Inc. to clasp rubric to the property.

“Our anticipation was to beryllium capable to transportation this spot to idiosyncratic who tin transportation guardant the bequest of the Bell Mansion, prosecute with section taste and assemblage groups, and honour the past of this important Sudbury landmark. We are pleased to person realized this with the caller owner,” said Laurentian president and vice-chancellor Lynn Wells, successful a quality release.

WATCH | Bell Mansion listed for $1M:

Lumber manufacture mogul William Joseph Bell had the Bell Mansion built successful 1907. Laurentian purchased the 8,000-square-foot practice gathering successful 1968, and it was zoned for organization usage astatine the clip of its purchase. 

The gathering has been closed for repairs since October 2023.

Engineers identified the building's interior staircase arsenic a large issue. Without that structure, determination is nary bath access, which is wherefore the Art Gallery of Sudbury had to adjacent its doors to the public.