LaSalle council has approved issuing an expression of interest (EOI) for the purchase and redevelopment of the Benoit House property at LaSalle Landing.
At Monday night's meeting, council heard that the home at 752 Front Road, has been vacant since 2020, with no restoration funding in place.
Administration said the home is at risk of deterioration, potentially leaving demolition as the only option.
Instead of paying for restoration, the town will now seek private developers to purchase and redevelop the site.
Deputy Mayor Michael Akpata said preserving Benoit House is about protecting LaSalle’s history.
"If we knock out history down we're doomed to forget it," Akpata said.
"If there's a way that you can save the building, save the history, meet the requirements with a Triple P partnership to maximize our municipality, create investment, draw people in without spending tax dollars, I'm all in."
Coun. Jeff Renaud said restoring the home is appealing, but the town cannot do it alone.
"I would hope to think that if we truly went across Canada and we were looking for somebody to partner with, that somebody could find something to do with that land and we could work with them," Renaud said.
Mayor Crystal Meloche said the town wants the right kind of development at LaSalle Landing.
"I do look forward to being a little bit picky in our EOI wording to ensure that we get exactly what we're looking for down there, and I do believe that if this goes through and we see someone come along and we can come to an agreement with this, that's only going to continue to spur other development along Front Road," Meloche said.
Meloche previously said that the home is not heritage-designated, and the town does not plan to designate it.
The EOI is expected to be issued later this year, with submissions reviewed by the next council in early 2027.