City still in talks to buy York House
Let's make a deal | City councillors voted in June to purchase historic 114-year-old building
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com
Published Friday July 27th, 2007
Appeared on page A4
Talks between the City of Fredericton and Brunswick Street Baptist Church representatives are ongoing, but there's still no definitive word on a city proposal to buy the historic York House structure.
"Things are positive. Meetings are still going on, but it's a complex issue," said Mayor Brad Woodside.
City councillors voted unanimously in June to purchase the 114-year-old brick building designed by architect James C. Dumaresq, who was the designer of the provincial legislature.
History buffs and the city see the structure as valuable to the local heritage inventory.
But the church needs space for expansion, and renovating the building still wouldn't meet the religious group's needs, a church spokesman has said.
The building stands alone on the property, separated from the main church structure by a parking lot.
The church wants to demolish the building and start fresh.
City officials have been trying to act as a land-assembly facilitator in order to create a redevelopment package that would allow the church to meet its goals and spare York House from the wrecker's ball.
"We have the blessing of the congregation to give it the best shot we can to bring about a solution everyone can be happy with," Woodside said.