Town of Yarmouth buys land next to Collins Street parking lot

The Town of Yarmouth has purchased a property adjacent to the Collins Street parking lot. Mayor Pam Mood says the land would enable the town to offer more parking and the acquisition is not related to a proposed new arts centre the town is looking to build on Collins Street.

The First Street property – known to many as the Roach property – was purchased for $84,000.

The town also is interested in the Vanguard building in the same area of town, but the mayor says they’re just looking into it at this point. The town has no plans for the structure, she said, but it’s a significant downtown building that’s for sale.

Regarding the Roach property, whose house is now vacant, the mayor said the town had been looking to acquire this property for 30 years or so.

“We worked out a deal with the family,” she said. “That was just completed recently.”

The house will be demolished, she said, but she didn’t have a timeframe for the work.

As for the Vanguard building, she said the town is interested but she could say little more.

“We can’t ignore key pieces of infrastructure in the town, especially one like this that has been obviously on the market for some time,” she said, referring to the large Vanguard facility, most of which is no longer being used.

That the town has purchased the Roach property and is at least looking at the Vanguard building, the mayor said, is not related to the proposed new arts centre.

“Regardless of the arts centre project, we would have purchased the first one for parking and the second one is such a key piece in the (downtown) core that we absolutely had to take a look at it,” she said.

Asked about the status of the arts centre project, the mayor said, “we’ll be having more discussions in January. We should have more information then.”

Meanwhile, the Yarmouth Arts Regional Council, owners and operators of Th’YARC, is looking to develop an arts centre at the former Arcadia school.

“Regardless of the arts centre project, we would have purchased the first one for parking and the second one is such a key piece in the (downtown) core that we absolutely had to take a look at it.”

— Pam Mood