PUB OWNER LOSES BID TO BUY HISTORIC FIRE HALL
An Inglewood pub owner has lost his bid to buy a historic fire hall.
“They’re not negotiating with me,” Hose and Hound Neighbourhood Pub owner Chuck Rose said Wednesday.
The bar has been housed in Fire Hall No. 3 for 17 years,
After waiting on pins and needles Tuesday night as city council debated bids to buy the historic property, Rose said his realtor got the call Wednesday around 3 p.m.
“They just said, ‘we’re sorry, you’re not the successful bidder, and we’re negotiating with the one who is.’”
Privacy laws prevent council from announcing the successful bidder until negotiations are complete, officials said.
Rose, who has operated the popular bar for the past 17 years, hasn’t had a lease agreement for the past two years and has been asking to buy the property for years, he said.
“I don’t wish anybody bad on anybody. I’m hoping that with whoever it is, if they want me as a tenant, then we can negotiate,” Rose said.
“I’m going forward with the assumption that I’m still going to be here. Until somebody tells me I’m not going to be here, I’m still going to be here.”
City council debated the matter behind closed doors Tuesday night.
Ald. Gian-Carlo Carra, who earlier fought in favour of the pub owner, and Ald. Andre Chabot voted against the sale.
Fire Hall No. 3 is assessed at $1.49 million. Rose earlier said his bid was in the $2-million range, but he noted that was still slightly under the city’s asking price.
Rose said he had approval to remortgage his house if the city green-lighted his bid. Fire Hall No. 3 is one of a handful of municipally-owned buildings the city has identified for possible sale. The city wants use the proceeds to help pay for upkeep at other heritage buildings throughout Calgary. Council’s policy on property sales is a competitive, sealed bid process. The only time the city offers first right of refusal to tenants is when the tenant is a non-profit organization. Letters from community groups rallying around the popular Inglewood pub were sent to council supporting Rose.
Rose said the outpouring of support has been touching.
“We’ve got the community behind us. That means so much.”