Historic St. Stephen town hall building gets no developer interest
Council will continue to seek proposals, despite tender period closing
The fate of St Stephen's historic town hall building is still up in the air after the municipality received no formal response to a request for proposals.
The building has been vacant since 2009 when municipal offices were moved out amid concerns about the safety of the structure.
It was designed by famed architect Thomas Fuller, who also designed Canada's Parliament buildings.
The town had hoped to find a developer willing to take it over and renovate it as a commercial project.
Despite the lack of response, Mayor John Quartermain said council will continue to entertain proposals.
'It's a jewel'
"It's not a shut case," Quartermain said Thursday, shortly after the tender period expired.
"We're still actively seeking people that are interested in the building to bring forth their business plan. We'll certainly look at everything."
There is serious interest from one organization.
The newly formed Old Town Hall Arts Centre Steering Group has sent a letter to town council asking for time to prepare a proposal and to apply for grants to renovate the building.
"It's a jewel. It has to be done," says Margaret Williamson, a member of the group.
She said she believes, as a national historic site, funding can be secured through federal government initiatives aimed at the country's 150th anniversary celebrations coming up in 2017.
"It's the most architecturally and historically significant building remaining in St Stephen," said Williamson.
The building has deteriorated over the past several decades, largely due to water damage. Despite its heritage designation, it can be demolished if deemed dangerous to the public.