LaSalle council is being asked to consider a new approach for the future of Benoit House at LaSalle Landing.
Benoit House, 752 Front Road, has been vacant since 2020, with no restoration funding in place.
Administration says that the home is at risk of deterioration, potentially leaving demolition as the only option.
Instead of paying for restoration, the town would seek private developers through an Expression of Interest to purchase and redevelop the site.
Mayor Crystal Meloche says doing nothing could mean losing the historic Benoit House altogether.
"If we don't have the funding available and the home continues to sit there, at some point we're going to have to make a decision, and unfortunately I got a feeling that's going to be a recommendation of demolishing the home, which is not something I'm in favor of," she said.
"There's a huge part of our history there and I want to make sure we preserve it as much as we can."
She said the town is open to private development, as long as the building’s history is respected.
"We'd be looking for someone to preserve the exterior of the home, and then build on to it to be able to offer some commercial spaces, right down there, right at the waterfront," Meloche said. "Then with the option of them building possibly residential above or maybe it's a hotel."
Meloche said residents want progress at the waterfront without the added tax burden.
"We know the residents don't want to pay for the entire LaSalle Landing project, so this is kind of thinking outside the box, and getting creative on how we can move forward with some of the really important features that our residents are looking for without it being a cost to our residents," she said.
Meloche added that the home is not heritage-designated, and the town does not plan to designate it.
If approved by council on Tuesday evening, the EOI would be issued later this year, with submissions reviewed by the next council in early 2027.