Fredericton buys Officers' Square from province for $1

Fredericton is buying Officers' Square from the provincial government for $1 and council is already planning on ways to improve the downtown space. 

Deputy Mayor Kate Rogers called the deal that was announced at Monday night's council meeting a win for both the city and the province. 

"Now we have the opportunity actually to posses the property and to make the changes that our city centre plan and our garrison plan have instructed," said Rogers.

"There is a real vision on what to do with that property and this gives us the opportunity to do that."

The deal also includes the barracks on the property, which houses the Fredericton Region Museum.

Part of the deal between the two levels of government included a condition that requires the city to negotiate a lease with the museum.

"We're not acquiring the museum. The museum is really just changing its landlord from the provincial government to the municipal government," said Coun. John MacDermid. 

MacDermid, the chair of the city's development committee, said he is looking forward to being able to upgrade the facilities in Officers' Square.

In the past, city council has wanted to do add a permanent winter ice surface or create a better performance stage.

But since Officers' Square wasn't their property the city held off on those sort of upgrades.

Now that isn't a problem. 

"There's all these plans that we've had over the years that we just haven't been able to realize because we haven't had ownership of it," said MacDermid

"Now we have ownership. We can start really looking at those plans and taking them to the next step."