Future of St. Patrick's High building up for grabs
Residents asked what they think should happen to the old school property on Quinpool Road
Residents of Halifax were asked what they think should happen to the old St. Patrick’s High School property on Quinpool Road at a meeting at the Halifax Forum Wednesday night.
St. Patrick's High was the largest high school in Canada when it opened its doors 59 years ago — now it sits, mostly unused after the Flexible Learning and Education Centre (FLEC) programs were relocated last year.
Halifax Regional Municipality currently owns the $7-million property and is now going through the disposal process of the three and a half-acre piece of prime real estate.
Francis Fares, a prominent HRM developer, said any developer would want a property of that size and location.
“We should create a community that is a win-win for everybody, not just the developer or the city,” he said.
Fares said he'd like to see the city develop a process to dispose of similar properties in the future.
Coun. Jennifer Watts held the meeting at the Halifax Forum Wednesday to explain how HRM will dispose of St. Patrick’s High, and get input from residents.
“It's close to the Common. It has a business district associated with it. It's within walking distance of downtown. It hits all of those key things,” said Watts.
“Once this property is gone and if it’s not developed to its full potential, it's a loss to us as a society,” she said.
Wednesday night’s meeting was just the beginning of a process that is expected to take 18 months.
Council will eventually be asked to categorize the property and probably re-zone it for development.
“I just want to make sure whatever they choose, they think about the community and how it’s going to affect the environment,” said Nicole Pyne, who lives and works in the community.