The City of Windsor is promising the swift destruction of the former Grace Hospital after purchasing the site for $2.3 million Friday.

The news comes after years of residents and politicians complaining about a site that invokes images of a ghost town. Hurdle after hurdle kept them from seeing the area reborn.

The sale was approved in a closed session of city council Friday.

Mayor Eddie Francis said the city still needs to sit down with the province to decide the most efficient way to clean up the site, including the demolition of the building.

"We'll be moving quickly to restore the site, to clean up the site and to return some sense of normal to the residents who've had to suffer long and hard as a result of the condition of that site," he said.

Once the building is demolished, the site will be put up for sale to the public.

Ward 2 councillor Ron Jones credited Francis for his persistence on a problem that's bothered residents for nearly a decade.

"Certainly the mayor has been very vigilant on this," Jones said. "He called us in today and indicated that there's an opportunity."

Nearby resident Richard Deslippe said the city's decision brings an end to a frustrating chapter and begins a much more optimistic time for residents.

"Property values will all increase in this area," he said. "It would mean more business, more people, it only makes sense that they tear it down, redevelop it and get more people living in the downtown core."