LONG SAULT – Despite a recommendation from the Conservation Review Board not to do it, South Stormont has stripped the heritage designation of the Raisin River Heritage Center in St. Andrews West.
Council agreed Wednesday to remove the designation under the impetus that removing it would cut red tape and open the door to less restrictive private sector investment.
The building, behind St. Andrews Catholic School, was closed in 2017 after it was considered unsafe. The township has estimated that it would take over $1 million to repair it.
Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Amelotte also explained that if the designation wasn’t removed now, it wouldn’t be able to be removed later because provincial legislation is changing that would make the review board’s decision final.
With the designation removed, the township is also going out for a final public expression of interest to see if someone will buy and renovate the century building that was a Roman Catholic convent and boarding school.
Amelotte said they had meetings with those opposed to removing the designation on Tuesday, before the Wednesday council meeting. “They did have some questions but again I feel they are working hard on their end but don’t have a proper business plan yet or an idea that works along what the board (Catholic school board) is looking for.”
CAO Debi LucasSwitzer says it will have to be a solid business case.
“It has to be a clear business plan. A hope isn’t going to work for us on a go-forward basis. It must be clearly set out in terms of the revenue, in terms of the expenses…and how they propose to be sustainable,” she said.
Amelotte added that they’ve received an idea in “half an email” with a $1 land transfer request but South Stormont has a responsibility to make sure someone doesn’t destroy it and then hand it back to the municipality. The township has had “six to eight” requests in the past from people who are “local within SD&G, as close as Ottawa.”
“We can’t keep asking people to send in emails with an idea. We need an actual business plan that we can review and be comfortable with and the school board endorses and move that forward,” Amelotte added.
The expressions of interest process is expected to take at least six months but any decision won’t happen until after the October municipal election.