Pictou wants expressions of interest in former Academy building

The Town of Pictou is pondering the future of former Pictou Academy.

Councillors agreed Monday during a committee meeting to recommend to council on June 18 a call for expressions of interest in the building in hopes of someone taking it off their hands.

“We have to move on to real action and look for people willing to make us a solid proposal so the building is sustainable,” said Mayor Jim Ryan. “We need to have a plan and we want to talk to people who have a plan.”

The town acquired the former Pictou Academy in late 2017 after the Chignecto-Central School Board ordered it to be closed, moving grades 9 to 12 to the former Dr. Thomas McCulloch Junior High School, now the new Pictou Academy.

Council recently hosted a public session where it invited people to come up with their wish list for the school. Ideas generated from the meeting included turning the school into a community centre or highland dance academy. Others thought it would make a good town hall or library for the town.

The town is ready to hear from people serious about developing it, however, council made it clear that it would not be a building the town would continue to sustain.

Ryan said a private developer or non-profit organization might be interested and, if they are, they should contact the town sooner than later.

He said the town would like to have the matter settled by October so that is it is not on the hook to heat it next winter.

“Get to the town as quickly as possible to formulate a plan,” he said. “If something viable comes up we want to vet the interests as soon as we can. Each year we have a vacant building and we know what the winter means.”

Ryan said council recognizes that the former high school is landmark in the town and it wants it to remain sitting on top of the hill, but someone has to come up with a sustainable opportunity.