Prince Edward County is moving forward with plans to purchase the former Queen Elizabeth School.
Prince Edward County Committee of the Whole discussed whether the municipality should make an offer to buy the former school property during their meeting on Thursday.
The former school, located at 35 Barker Street in Picton, is no longer in operation and the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB) declared the property surplus to their needs. HPEDSB had previously considered selling the property to the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, however they decided not to buy the property after receiving aid from the Ministry of Education to build a new school at an alternate location.
If purchased by the municipality, plans are in place to convert the property into affordable housing for the community.
A report submitted to the Committee of the Whole outlined a severe lack of affordable housing in the community, with the cost of rental units in Prince Edward County increasing between 16 to 28 per cent over two years depending on unit type and an overall vacancy rate of under one percent.
Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson was enthusiastic about the possibility of buying the property and moving forward with the housing plan.
“It really does stand as the last opportunity we’ll have to do this in our major urban setting or settlement area,” said Mayor Ferguson. “I think this is great and I hope everyone supports it.”
Parcels of land similar in size to the one the former school is on are rarely available in major urban areas. The property measures just over four and a half acres of space.
After some brief discussion, the committee recommended that council instruct staff to submit a conditional offer to purchase the property for $1,000,000. The recommendation also says that if the offer is accepted, staff should be directed to apply for grants to offset the cost of the purchase, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s National Housing Strategy Co-Investment Funding Program and National Housing Strategy Seed Funding Program.
The conditional offer would remain open for 180 days from acceptance, with a provision of a one time extension of 90 additional days if required. Several conditions would have to be fulfilled within this time, including environmental assessments to confirm lack of soil or water contaminants, a hazardous building materials assessment, a title search to confirm that there are no liens on the property, and completion of a land survey to ensure no issues are present with easements or right of way.
The motion was passed unanimously and the offer was submitted to Prince Edward County Council for final approval.
