Summerside set to make announcement about former railway station/library

The City of Summerside appears set to make a formal announcement about the fate its former library building.

The city issued an invitation to media and stakeholders to attend an announcement on July 31 at 221 Water St., which is the restaurant Open Eats. The former library, which is also the city’s historic railway station, is located at 192 Water St.

The city owns the property and issued a request for proposals in January, calling for potential buyers to submit development plans. One of the provisos of that request was that whatever was done with the building, its historic nature had to be taken into account.

The Summerside and Area Historical Society has expressed concern about the future of the property and stressed its historical significance.

However, the building is a registered historic property, not a designated one. That distinction is important because registered properties are not subject to the same protections as designated ones. Registered properties can still be modified significantly or even torn down at the owner’s discretion.