'No decisions' yet on Summerset Manor, says province

Someone wants to buy the old Summerset Manor building on Granville Street in Summerside, but the building belongs to the province — which must first divest itself of the vacant housing complex. 

• Mayor touts plans for vacant seniors' home, but deputy cautious
• Better health expected with French seniors' unit

Summerside Mayor Bill Martin told council Monday night he's had talks with someone who wants to turn the former seniors' home into an assisted living facility. Martin said the province is expected to put the property up for sale soon.

"Housing Services is working with the Department of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy to finalize a plan for the unoccupied building," the province told CBC News in an email statement Tuesday. 

'Interest in viewing the building'

"Some private developers and other groups have shown an interest in viewing the building and discussions have been ongoing with the city of Summerside regarding their interest in the property, and no decisions have been made to date," said the statement from the Department of Family and Human Services.

As with all surplus provincial properties, the manor would have to go through a divestiture process to ensure the province doesn't want to use the property itself for another purpose and that there are no community groups or municipal governments interested in it. 

The manor would have to go through an open and public tendering process if it were to be sold, "and it is not appropriate for the Department to enter into discussions with private developers about future plans for the property," the statement continued.

The timeline for the divestiture process is six months to a year.