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Charlottetown buys waterfront green space for $1.25M

After months of negotiations, the City of Charlottetown has bought the green space by Founders Hall for $1,250,000.

City council nearly split on decision to purchase the land in front of Founders Hall

Cody MacKay · CBC News ·
This greenspace provides residents and visitors a place to meet and play in the summer and a place to skate in the winter. (Google Maps)

After months of negotiations, the City of Charlottetown has bought the green space by Founders Hall for $1,250,000.

Council approved the decision to buy the Water Street space at a special meeting on Friday — returning the once public land back into the hands of the city.

However, councillors were divided on the purchase as the motion only carried by a vote of five to four.

Coun. Mitch Tweel brought the resolution forward and said, despite council's split, that the purchase was a wise choice to keep an "extremely valuable" green space in the downtown.

Coun. Mitchell Tweel says maintaining the downtown green space is vital to the waterfront. (Randy McAndrew/CBC)

"Every council is entitled to their own opinion … I have to do what I believe is right," he said.

"When you look at this investment for the next 40, 50 to 100 years, this is a great investment, a great asset to the city."

The land was owned by Newfoundland developer Paul Madden under the company Atlantis Health Spa Ltd.

'I never supported purchasing it'

Before the vote, Coun. Melissa Hilton spoke to the resolution expressing her disapproval for the purchase.

She, along with Coun. Bob Doiron, Jason Coady and Terry Bernard, opposed buying the land but only Hilton spoke to the motion.

"This green space in front of the formerly Founders Hall is in my eyes a very expensive outdoor skating rink and gathering area," she said following the vote.

Melissa Hilton was one of the four city councillors that opposed the purchase. She says the city paid roughly $500,000 more than they should have for the land. (Randy McAndrew/CBC)

"I never supported purchasing it, particularly at this price tag."

Hilton said in her opinion, the city paid roughly $500,000 more than they should have for the land.

Tweel said the land will continue to be a leisure space in Charlottetown. However, he said he'd like to consult with residents to see if they'd want the land developed into something else.

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