The District of Metchosin has purchased the Metchosin Elementary school, but the community wonB次元官网网址檛 be able to reap the benefits for several years.
For the next five years, the school will be in the hands of a property management company and commercial realtor, who will be responsible for finding tenants and looking after the maintenance of the building.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 a bit conflicted about it. This could have been a good news story, but it wasnB次元官网网址檛 B次元官网网址� This could have been a sub-regional asset, but we have to now look at it as a commercial asset and run it for at least the next five years in a fashion to recover our expenditures,B次元官网网址� Mayor John Ranns said. B次元官网网址淲hat that means is there wonB次元官网网址檛 be much community benefit from the new part of the school at least until that happens.B次元官网网址�
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The municipality purchased the roughly five-acre property on Happy Valley Road for $1.5 million from the Sooke School District and officially took possession on Oct. 31.
However, things didnB次元官网网址檛 go according to plan. The municipality was unable to secure provincial grant funding to help pay for part of the purchase, so the full amount was borrowed from the districtB次元官网网址檚 general and police reserves B次元官网网址� funds which must be replenished over the next five years.
In order to replenish those reserves, the school will be handed over to a property management company and a commercial realtor, which Ranns declined to name at this time, who will rent out the space for the maximum dollar.
The Metchosin Arts and Cultural Centre Association that currently occupies part of the school will remain in the space.
But the district is currently looking at other options for replenishing the reserves faster, including the potential sale of the five-acre Spellman Park at Lindholm Road and Spellman Place, which would need to be approved by referendum during the next municipal election. There is also the potential to re-designate the field at the Metchosin Elementary school as a park, and take funds from the Parkland Reserve Fund to help pay off the purchase, though neither option is set in stone.
Once the reserves have been paid off, the District can then look at using the facility for community purposes, including a sub-regional protective services training centre, theatre, or expanding the arts space.
B次元官网网址淥ne thing weB次元官网网址檙e determined wonB次元官网网址檛 happen is the school will be any kind of a financial drain on the municipality. ItB次元官网网址檚 still evolutionary. WeB次元官网网址檙e still searching out what we can do that will be of most benefit to the community,B次元官网网址� Ranns said.
B次元官网网址淏ut right now, whatB次元官网网址檚 of most benefit to the community is to not have any financial obligations and to replenish our reserves. Our hope is to be able to turn that facility over to future councils and say B次元官网网址榯here you are, itB次元官网网址檚 all paid off and now you can use your imagination as to what public good can be achieved.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
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