City council has decided to give the Thorold Municipal Non-Profit Housing Corporation (TMNPHC) the right of first opportunity to buy Fire Station 1 on Towpath Street.
As ThoroldToday reported, work has begun on a new fire hall on McCleary Drive. Once the new hall is complete in 2024, the city wants to retire the fire hall on Towpath Street.
The Thorold museum board was hoping to turn Fire Station 1 into a Thorold museum, but now the TMNPHC will get the first opportunity to buy the property at the fully appraised value listed at the time of sale.
However, not every councillor is on board with the decision.
“I can’t support it myself,” said councillor Jim Handley at Tuesday’s city council meeting. “I don’t believe that the land is sustainable to build a multi-unit building. I don’t believe that this property is right for the situation.”
Councillor Victoria Wilson did not agree with councillor Handley.
“I don’t know if it can be build there either, I’m not an engineer, but I’m sure that they would do their due diligence to figure out whether it is feasible,” she said.
What would a right of first opportunity mean, asked councillor Anthony Longo.
“It would say that if the city intends to sell the property then before they do there will be a period of a time, 60 days or whatever, where they will negotiate exclusively in good faith with the person who holds the right,” explained the city’s advising counsel David Willer. “There’s no obligation to come to an agreement.”
Councillor John Kenny, who sits on the board of the TMNPHC, explained that the organization has not yet started looking for funding.
“We just would like the opportunity,” he said.
Councillor Longo asked for a deadline to be included with the right of first opportunity because he doesn’t want to see the property sitting empty for ten years.
This prompted councillor Wilson to propose that the city start the negotiating process right away since the fire hall on Towpath Street will still be occupied for almost two more years.
“We can always give them first opportunity now with the longer period of time so they could see if they could actually build on this and also see if they could get funding,” she said. “Why sit and wait for a year and a half?”
City Clerk Matthew Trennum explained that the city could start up that process as soon as the motion was passed.
Everybody present, including the Mayor, voted in favour of the right of first opportunity, except for councillor Handley who voted against.
Councillor Fred Neale and councillor Carmen DeRose were not present at the meeting and their vote was not recorded.
