Westville council chambers were near capacity as residents attended a presentation on the development of the former Highland Consolidated School property.
Dianne Kelderman, President & CEO of the non-profit Nova Scotia Co-operative Council, gave the broad outlines of their plan to completely renovate the building into 64 affordable housing units – a mix of one bedroom, two bedroom and studio apartments. While some will be offered at market rates, many will be at 80 percent of market rates to remain more affordable. The plan also includes the building of a daycare centre with 80-100 places for toddlers and pre-schoolers, as well as space for a number of social enterprise businesses.
Mayor Lennie White and town CAO Scot Weeres noted that this would be a huge net benefit for the town, as they would no longer be financially liable for the building, plus new income from property tax.
Kelderman estimates the cost of the renovations would be somewhere in the range of $14 million. And that’s only the beginning: CAO Weeres told the assembled crowd that a detailed development agreement is still to come before the next council, as the Co-operative Council also has to detail development plans for another 3.5 acres the town will give the group along with the school property.
Such an agreement would have to go through two readings at council and a public hearing – but Kelderman estimates once everything has been approved and shovels can go in the ground, the renovations would be complete about 24 months later.
