Big crowds expected for next St. Patrick’s-Alexandra debate
Posted Jan 23, 2012 06:12:21 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
One of the leaders of a coalition of community groups trying to prevent the sale of the former St. Patrick’s-Alexandra school site says regional councillors should be ready for another standing-room audience this week.
Regional council will get a staff report detailing errors in the sale of the former school – errors that have been made in the sale of 16 schools put on the market since 2000.
Dr. Margaret Casey, chair of the North End Community Health Centre, tells News 95.7 that north-end residents will be at the meeting en masse to encourage council to rectify the mistakes.
“We are trying to reach them, to try to give them a sense of what the vision is. Also, to urge them to follow the process that was set in place,” Dr. Margaret Casey, chair of the North End Health Centre Board, told News 95.7.
The city’s written policy states that non-profit organizations should be allowed to submit proposals for surplus school buildings before the properties are put on the open market. That should happen only if all proposals are rejected or no one comes forward.
However, the report says that since 2000, HRM has been accepting and evaluating proposals from non-profit and private entities at the same time.
Casey says she was disturbed by the revelation that the city has not been following the rules, but adds that it has a chance now to “get this right.”
She says community members who joined in a public meeting on the weekend offered several new ideas for use of the space.
“There was a young man who spoke, a chef. A number of years ago he went to St. Patrick’s school,” said Casey. “He’s very interested in becoming a mentor to young people there.”
Casey says the ideas have been formalized in a letter going to regional councillors that emphasizes the importance of the building to the underprivileged neighbourhood.
The former school building is currently the site of St. Joseph’s Children’s centre and was earmarked by the community for the MicMac Native Friendship Centre and the North End Community Health Clinic.
In December, Council approved the sale of the property to Jono Developments Ltd. for the construction of a mixed residential and commercial space.
Following much public outcry, council put a stop to the sale, earlier this month, and directed staff to investigate whether the sale followed all the proper policies.
Casey said it is hard to be confident that councillors will change their minds about selling the property, but says the community is hopeful the city will allow public consultations before taking any further steps towards a sale.
The staff report offers four options for proceeding with the sale.
