Old Moncton high school's future may be clear in a week
2 cabinet ministers say province is about to decide what to do with heritage building
On a tour of the old Moncton high school building Friday, Finance Minister Cathy Rogers said the future of the heritage property will likely be settled within a week.
She and two other MLAs from Moncton — Chris Collins and Monique LeBlanc — gave a tour of the building to Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Bill Fraser, with cameras and reporters in tow.
What happens next with the building is in the hands of Fraser's department. ,
Promises of a rosy outcome for the building were numerous, but specifics were hard to come by.
"We expect to have something finalized soon, and we expect an announcement coming very, very soon," Fraser said.
Rogers added: "We're getting very close, a decision on what will be in the old Moncton high school is imminent."
When asked how imminent, Rogers replied: "We hope within a week."
This issue of what to do with the Gothic-style building built in 1935 is a contentious one in the city. City council wrote letters of support for two projects.
One proposal was from local business people calling themselves MH Renaissance Inc. They proposed turning the building into a cultural centre.
The other proposal, from Terra Trust Bird, remained a mystery until the CBC confirmed it was a plan to use the property for a new RCMP detachment.
No one from the city took part in the tour Friday, and Mayor Dawn Arnold said she was not invited.
When asked if the City of Moncton was part of the coming decision, Fraser said, "I know that they've met with a number of proponents, I've met with the mayor, as well, a number of occasions and I know the local MLAs have as we
His department is not obliged to choose either of the proposals the city supported.
Cost of upkeep
The province said it costs taxpayers about $250,000 a year to maintain the building, including property tax, water and sewer, heating and security.
Some windows of the school have been boarded up. But that didn't keep out vandals, who sprayed fire extinguisher foam in the auditorium. Collins said the mess was cleaned up.
A water leak in the roof also left a puddle of water on the gymnasium floor. Tarps and a dehumidifier were used to dry the floor out before it warped permanently.