South end space for arts and community groups in Saint John could become housing
CBC
Saint John council has taken steps toward approving a B.C. developer's plan to turn a former church that became home to arts and community groups into a residential and commercial building.
The south end building in the Trinity Royal Heritage Conservation Area includes the former Germain Street United-Baptist church, built 200 years ago, at Germain and Queen streets.
Council gave first and second reading Monday night to the proposed rezoning of the property from neighbourhood community facility to urban centre residential.
Community organizations, including the InterAction School of Performing Arts and.Chroma NB, which provides services and resources to 2SLGBTQ+ residents, will vacate the space.
InterAction, which provides arts programs for children, bought the building in 2013, according to the group's website.
The group sold the building to B.C. architect Bruce Wilkin last October for $150,000, about a quarter of its assessed value.
Bruce Wilkin, of Victoria-based contracting company Bruce Wilkin Inc., attended the meeting virtually. He told council he wants to create 25 new housing units on the site.
Staff reports say part of the ground floor of the building could be used for commercial purposes such as a business office, bakery, restaurant or art studio.
Community groups were blindsided when they learned of the sale of the property, according to Chuck Teed, the former executive director of InterAction School of Performing Arts, who spoke against the proposed rezoning at a hearing Monday.
"The community did not get an adequate chance to weigh in on this until very recently," Teed told council.
"It was [sold] so quietly, quickly and privately. … Despite the fact that it should have fetched the highest price on the market I feel like the community would have stepped in to save the building had they had any inclination that it was going up for sale."
Service New Brunswick's property assessment information page shows the site sold for $450,000 in 2013. When the site was sold again in October, it was for $150,000. The assessed value of the property last year was $597,700.
No current representatives of InterAction, the previous owners of the building, attended the public hearing on the rezoning, and none sent a letter in support or opposition.
Two councillors, Gary Sullivan and Brent Harris, voted against the proposal, saying the community space was a loss and could have been saved.
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