Neighbourhood solidarity leads to positive results
Score one for political success driven by grassroots community efforts.
Granted, the devil may still be in the details. But, on the surface at least, it appears the deal to retain a neighbourhood park in Old Glenridge is a winner for residents, the city and the District School Board of Niagara.
The strategy employed in this instance may also prove beneficial to other St. Catharines neighbourhoods in the future.
You’re probably familiar with the sketch here.
The DSBN determined Glen Ridge School, a fixture in its established residential neighbourhood for close to 90 years, was no longer viable as a learning institution, yet another victim of declining enrolment.
The news was greeted with expected and understandable dismay in the community. As has been the case with other school closures throughout Niagara, unsuccessful efforts were made to change the school board’s mind.
Once the die was cast, the community set out to realize the second best scenario — retain a portion of the greenspace and save the school building.
To achieve this goal, the Old Glenridge Community Association (it would later form the core of a city task force) had to persuade the other players in this process — the city and the school board — to play ball.
Specifically, the city had to accept the premise the neighbourhood was in need of parkland and the school building was worth saving.
Then, it had to be sold on the idea of buying the entire property from the DSBN. The site would be divided, with one-third retained as a park, the rest, including the building, available for development.
But before going down this road, the city needed assurances it wouldn’t get fleeced when trying to unload the property or get stuck with an aging, expensive-to-maintain heritage building.
So, the task force proposed the city get the developable portion of the property appraised and then seek ironclad offers from interested parties prior to negotiating with the school board.
The DSBN’s interests were simpler. The school board wanted to sell the entire property at its appraised price with no strings attached.
Details of the deal struck recently between the city and the DSBN, including purchase price, have yet to be released. The same holds true for any agreement the city has reached with interested developers.
But early reports are that the right boxes have been ticked for all parties.
Such as:
• the DSBN got the sales price it wanted
• the city will be able to re-sell the developable land at very close to its appraised value
• the prospective buyers are reputable developers with proven track records
• the school building will be saved and retrofitted for residential use
• any new residences built on the vacant land will likely be in sync with the value of the existing neighbourhood housing
• the neighbourhood will get its park
Kudos to all involved for making this happen.
Special commendation, though, goes to the community for being persistent, cohesive, innovative and reasonable.
Residents weren’t stubbornly insistent the entire property had to be saved as is. From a financial standpoint, they recognized development had to occur on a majority of the site to make preservation of parkland possible.
Whether this template can be used for all surplus school properties in the future remains to be seen.
What drove the Glen Ridge case was the obvious need for parkland in the area. The school building also has a very attractive heritage look and blends in well with the rest of the neighbourhood, making it an easier sell for re-purposing. That’s not the case for every school.
Still, the apparent success of this venture should inspire grassroots movements in other city neighbourhoods faced with similar challenges. dherod.niagara@gmail.com