The Town of Minto is fielding offers for the former Harriston Senior School property.
Prior to the Dec. 18 council meeting, an in-camera session was held to discuss “a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land, Harriston Senior School.”
Afterwards, Mayor George Bridge confirmed the town does have offers in hand for the six-acre property, which it purchased last spring with the idea of re-selling it for development.
“We’re evaluating some offers that have come in,” said Bridge.
While noting that there is “nothing firm” at this point, Bridge said he is “very confident” a sale could be completed early in the new year.
The last Grade 8 class graduated from Harriston Senior in 2009 and it was closed and merged with an expanded Minto Clifford school, located on an adjacent property.
Under provincial regulations, the Upper Grand District School Board was required to offer the 6.5-acre site, which contains three ball diamonds, a Sports field and a single-storey school building, to other levels of government before the general public.
Minto council made the decision to purchase the property for $60,000 at a meeting on May 15 and the sale closed on June 29.
In negotiations
The school building located on the site is 22,708 square feet, including a 3,713 square foot gymnasium, and was constructed in 1955, with an addition in 1958.
Renovations, including the addition of the gymnasium, were carried out in the early ‘70s, when the building became a senior school.
Bridge said the town is negotiating with potential developers to encourage inclusion of senior housing facilities in any development and also wants to see an area set aside for parkland.
