The long-discussed future of Centre School in the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has been decided, with council moving forward on plans to demolish the building.
Funding has now been approved in the municipality’s latest budget, with about $4.5 million set aside for the project.
Mayor Elspeth MacLean Wile says the decision comes after years of trying to find a new use for the site.
“There’s been much work done on finding options for the building… and what to do with it,” she said.
Past councils explored a number of redevelopment ideas, including the possibility of converting the property into housing. However, those plans never moved forward.
Wile says the condition of the building made those options difficult to pursue.
“The building has a number of issues related to asbestos and issues that would require major investment to make it a viable location for housing,” she said.
The school has also become a growing concern for the municipality due to vandalism and ongoing maintenance costs.
“In the end… none of those [options] were feasible,” Wile said, noting council ultimately determined demolition was the best course of action.
The municipality had previously delayed a final decision in hopes of securing provincial or federal funding to help offset the cost, but that support did not materialize.
With funding now in place, the project is expected to move ahead this year, with demolition planned for the fall.
Wile says timing will be coordinated to avoid disrupting activity at the nearby soccer field.
“The plan is to work with the soccer groups to make sure we’re not going to interfere with any of their activities,” she said.
Once the building is removed, the site will remain under municipal ownership.
Wile says the focus for now is moving ahead with a project that has been under discussion for years.
“We had the resources to do it, and we just decided we need to get this done,” she said.
