County will seek expressions of interest for Queen Elizabeth school site

UPDATE JUNE 29: Following the approval by Hastings Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB) last week of the agreement of purchase and sale of the former Queen Elizabeth School in Picton to the County of Prince Edward, the County announced today it will invite applications from community members and organizations interested in locating on the site. The municipality will issue the Expression of Interest on July 11 with a submission deadline of Aug. 21. Review of the applications and occupancy decisions are to be made by Nov. 24.

County Council has created a Tenant Selection Committee to make recommendations on the tenant mix of the development and the potential sale of land related to the development. The committee includes Mayor Ferguson and Councillors Sam Branderhorst, Corey Engelsdorfer, Kate MacNaughton, and Janie Maynard. Recruitment for community agency representatives, residents, and County staff to also serve on the committee will take place when council approves the terms of reference of the committee.

With HPEDSH approving the sale of the nearly five-acre property at 35 Barker Street in Picton, the County is now completing the necessary work to waive the conditions of the Purchase and Sale Agreement. The County has until March 9, 2024, to satisfy the required due diligence (environmental assessments, building condition assessment, etc.) and secure the funding for the purchase. The municipality is seeking funds from the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) and the Co-Investment Fund (COI).

School board approves sale of Picton’s Queen Elizabeth School

JUNE 19: At Monday’s meeting, the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board approved the agreement of purchase and sale for the former Queen Elizabeth School in Picton.

County council, at its meeting last week, had approved the $1,375,000 offer to purchase the 4.76 acre property at 35 Barker St..

A master plan is next for re-development of the property into a mixed-use residential community that includes affordable housing options, childcare, a community health hub, services, community gardens and recreational programming.

The offer was made conditional on the County securing funding through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) National Housing Strategy Co-Investment Funding Program, which would allow the purchase price to be an eligible expense for reimbursement resulting in the purchase of the property ultimately being at no cost to the County or PELASS. The County would own the building.

The Prince Edward Lennox and Addington Social Services (PELASS) and the County submitted joint expressions of interest last fall. PELASS ranks higher on the list school boards are required to follow when offering surplus properties. Municipalities are ranked ninth on this list, well behind PELASS, and the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board which won the first bid, after the property was declared surplus in 2018, but later chose to build a new St. Gregory’s school on another property last year.

The school was closed following an accommodation review in 2017 and students were moved to the then new K-12 Prince Edward Collegiate Institute.

Final farewell for former students and staff at Queen Elizabeth School