Board trustees want to hear Hamilton’s Education Centre plan
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...on-centre-plan
The public school board hasn’t closed the door on keeping its headquarters downtown.
Several trustees said Thursday they are open to hearing a plan that would allow its Education Centre to remain in the core. But it’s still too soon to know if the city can bring a feasible — and financially realistic — option to the table.
“We’re still waiting to hear from the city with regard to the motion that was brought forward by Jason Farr last night, so we have no idea what the intent is or how they would help us out,” said board chair Tim Simmons. “It’s really too early to go there.”
City council backed a motion Wednesday night to officially petition the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board to locate its new headquarters in a second tower to the south of City Hall.
Farr, the downtown councillor behind the motion, acknowledged the pitch is coming late in the game, with the board having already decided on the former Crestwood school grounds on the Mountain as the preferred site for its new home.
Nonetheless, “now is better than never.”
“Things do happen last minute and better deals do come along. This very well might be one,” he said. “I still think there’s an opportunity.”
Farr is hopeful city staff can come up with a plan that would allow the board to build the new tower within its $31-million budget. The partnership would also include an “extremely cheap” long-term land lease.
In order to boost the downtown economy and keep the board’s 400 workers in the core, “we’re willing to make adjustments and concessions,” Farr said.
Though there are gaps in the plan that still need to be filled, trustee Lillian Orban said she’d like to see what the city has to offer.
“What’s another two or three weeks?” she said. “I believe in taking the time and I am prepared to listen. It’s only fair to do so.”
Trustee Laura Peddle said she’s open to ideas that are “win-win”
“Anything that costs less, yet stays in the core, will be acceptable to me. We could sell the Crestwood site for additional revenue,” she said.
Another trustee, meanwhile, said he’s willing to consider downtown options, but not on the City Hall site. Others said they simply need more information from the city before they can take a side.
The public will find out Friday if the board ever formally considered a second tower at City Hall as a potential option for its new headquarters. That’s when the school board will reveal an October 2010 report containing information about 18 possible locations for the new Education Centre as well as information about the site selection process and a project overview.
Both the board and McMaster University say the city’s push to consider a tower option won’t have much bearing on the negotiations between the two parties for the sale of the board’s current home at 100 Main St. W.
Once that deal is complete, the university plans to demolish the downtown Education Centre to make way for a new $85-million health campus. Both the school board and McMaster plan to move into their new homes in 2014.
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