Future uncertain for 'totally destroyed' Bloomfield building

Update, Feb. 20, 2025, 3:50 p.m.: Demolition crews were on scene on Feb. 19 tearing down the walls of the building that burned. 

A spokesperson for the municipality said Dexter Construction performed the demolition, which was paid for by Halifax Fire. The municipality will decide later whether it will recover the cost from the owner. 

The spokesperson said it is not yet known whether the municipality will require the property owner to improve safety at the site.

The inside of the building that caught fire early Sunday morning at the former Bloomfield school in north-end Halifax is "totally destroyed," says the deputy fire chief of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services.

Dave Meldrum said the building is too unstable for crews to enter, but a fire department drone showed that the roof is gone, the floors are burned out or missing, and the beams that supported the floors have warped, become misshapen or have fallen away.

"So the interior of the building itself is gone and no longer there for any real intent and purpose," Meldrum said.

The Bloomfield site, which stretches from Agricola Street to Robie Street on the south side of Almon Street, is comprised of three structures — one large building and two annexes. The fire destroyed the annex that faces Agricola Street, also known as the Fielding building.

While the exterior walls of the building were still standing Tuesday, Meldrum said they are unsupported and could collapse.

Fire department staff are investigating how and where the fire started, and once that investigation is complete, the site will be turned back over to the owner, Banc Investments Ltd. The owner will then be responsible for ensuring the site is safe, either by bracing the walls or demolishing them, Meldrum said Tuesday.

The municipality has not received any reports of anyone being injured in the fire, he said.

Long history of property

The Bloomfield school closed in 1988, and was used afterward as a community space for many years until it became vacant in 2014.

In 2012, Halifax council awarded a bid to redevelop the site to Housing Nova Scotia, a provincial Crown agency. A community group called Imagine Bloomfield was formed to help plan the future of the site. The group's vision included affordable housing as well as space for community groups, businesses and green space.

But in 2016, Housing Nova Scotia walked away from the project, saying it would expose taxpayers to too much risk.

In 2021, Banc Investments bought the property, vowing it would have a design ready for the site "at some point this year, without question."

Two years later, Banc owner Alex Halef said high interest rates and limited construction financing had waylaid his plans, and he had "no timeline" for demolishing the buildings and proceeding with the development.

The property has been the subject of municipal orders to address dangerous and unsightly conditions, including cleaning up garbage and dealing with missing fencing, broken windows and graffiti.

In 2023, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency deemed the site an "immediate safety risk," and the city ordered the company to conduct a structural integrity assessment. 

That report found that two of the three buildings were unsafe to access, while the main Bloomfield building had two roof leaks but the framing and load-bearing walls were all in good condition.

CBC News has requested an interview with Banc Investments but has not yet received a response. 

'So much work and love'

Susanna Fuller lives near the property and worked with Imagine Bloomfield for years to push the group's vision forward.

"So much work and love went into creating a community vision in a place that was such a vibrant community space," she told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia.

"And to see it burn, you know, you just feel like you've just lost years of work, but also years of potential."

Fuller said more stipulations should have been built into the agreement with Banc to ensure the development moved forward: "If the site wasn't cleaned up within six months, the sale rescinded. If the site wasn't built on within two years, the sale rescinded."

The sale did come with the condition that if construction does not begin by January 2026, the municipality would have the option to buy the property back.

"I think the real conversation has to happen around that right now," Fuller said. "We know that the province now is putting forward money for affordable housing. Maybe this is a property the province could just have for affordable housing and they could execute the community plan.

"I don't know what the answer is. I think it's probably a combination of things, but it's really clear that this has just been dealt with pretty terribly on all sides."