King Township purchases former Holy Name school for $2.95 M

July 3, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons

A beautiful piece of property has remained in public hands, thanks to bold move by King Township to purchase the former Holy Name School property from the York Catholic District School Board.
The Township agreed to buy the 9.48-acre parcel for $2.95 million. It has a depth of 1,300 feet.
The school building on the site was constructed in two stages, the front section in 1968 and the two-storey addition at the rear was added in 1979. The total floor area is 37,641 square feet.
The property is immediately east of the planned prestige employment area and west of the recently constructed Springhill Gardens condominium project. Other residential development is planned in the vicinity.
“This acquisition presents a unique opportunity to repurpose an existing building for needed community and municipal facilities. We will be actively looking for partnerships as we move forward with the redevelopment of the property,” said Mayor Steve Pellegrini.
Possible uses under consideration for the property include providing additional community space, the relocation of the municipal offices and the continued use of the playing field located at the rear of the property.
“This strategic purchase is a positive example of moving our sustainability plan forward,” Mayor Pellegrini added. “It ensures the preservation of the environmentally sensitive land surrounding the site and provides an opportunity for King Township to demonstrate leadership on the sustainable redevelopment front.”
Moving the municipal offices from their current location in the strip plaza is an objective, the mayor admitted. He noted York Regional Police have also expressed an interest in a satellite office, to better serve the area.
The mayor noted possibilies for culture and recreation also exist. There are a whole bunch of entities and agencies who could benefit from sharing some of the facility’s space.
“We now have an opportunity to collaborate with the community and community organizations,” he said.
Aside from the revenue-generating leasing options, the mayor sees this as becoming a community hub.
Since the evolution of the site will take time, now is the time to put the planning in place for use of this parcel, he added.