The City of St. Thomas is taking another shot at breathing life back into a stately downtown structure dating back to 1898.
City Manager Lisa Higgs has issued a Request for Information (RFI) with an Expression of Interest (EOI) document to invite qualified developers, investors and community partners to submit proposals for the potential purchase and adaptive re-use of the former Wellington Street Public School, now known as the Wellington Block.
According to the city release, it is seeking “visionary and innovative proposals that respect the site’s heritage character, while contributing to economic growth, housing supply, cultural vitality, and long-term community revitalization.”
Possible opportunities include: mixed-use development, residential (either market or affordable), boutique hotel, cultural or institutional uses, commercial space, or other creative, adaptive re-use concepts that align with the city’s strategic priorities.”
The former Thames Valley District School Board facility, purchased by the city in 2011 to provide parking spaces for the new consolidated courthouse, was revitalized the following year as the St. Thomas campus of Algoma University.
However, the university announced because of lower-than-anticipated demand, it was deferring registration for the fall 2014 program at its St. Thomas campus, and that ended Algoma’s presence in the city.
Since then, the former school has housed the STEAM Centre, was used by a handful of city employees, and was a temporary homeless shelter during the COVID pandemic.
Hope resurfaced in 2022, when it appeared St. Joseph’s Health Care was interested in leasing the first and second floors of the building, which carries a heritage designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.
A move into the Wellington Block never materialized.
We spoke with Mayor Joe Preston regarding the RFI.
Preston continued, “Let’s see who comes forward and says, ‘We have an idea.'”
“I really am a bit frustrated over time with the expense of maintaining a heritage building without a tenant in it. But almost every year, as mayor, we thought we had a tenant.”
As it stands now, the city has a 99-year deal with the province for the provision of approximately 100 parking spaces at the Wellington Block for use by those attending the Elgin County Courthouse, and the city has the use of 12 to 15 parking spots.
An obvious interested party would be Indwell, which is in the process of transforming the former Balaclava Street Public School – a structure nearly identical to the Wellington Block – into 78 units of supportive housing, equipped with essential supports to assist residents.
This will include 36 units within the existing school structure and an additional 42 units in a new extension.
Jeff Neven is the CEO of Indwell, a Christian charity dedicated to providing affordable housing and community support, and he referred to Balaclava Street Public School as “stunning.”
At the Balaclava groundbreaking in March, Neven indicated, “We’re just so excited that we are able to be a part of the story of preserving it, of giving it new life, and you know, so many old buildings end up falling down because they don’t have new life and a new use for them and this building will be animated with people making it home and it will be totally renovated.
“It will be beautiful, and it will be well-maintained.”
Preston confirmed the deadline for submissions is July 15. Optional site tours are scheduled for June 10 and/or June 24.
The city has constructed a neighbour playground in the northeast corner of the property, and Preston assured it will remain in place.
Written by Ian McCallum
