Public Information Meeting: Queen Elizabeth School redevelopment

The County of Prince Edward will host a public information meeting on Wednesday, September 25 for the Queen Elizabeth School redevelopment.

The meeting will take place at the Rotary Hall inside the Prince Edward Community Centre (375 Picton Main Street) from 6-8 pm.

The goal of the meeting is to present the history and plans for the redevelopment and to give the public the opportunity to better understand and provide input to the re-development project.

At the meeting, municipal staff will give a brief presentation before seeking neighbourhood resident input toward best use of the site at Barker and Centre Streets, inviting a conversation on an integrated affordable housing model.

Following the public meeting, staff will consolidate the comments and feedback and provide them to the prospective partners for use as they refine their proposals. Council has directed staff to provide a final recommendation on entering into an agreement with a private sector or non-profit partner in November of 2024.

Questions can be sent in advance to Elis Ziegler, Affordable Housing Supervisor at eziegler@pecounty.on.ca or by calling 613.476.2148 extension 1529.

Background on redevelopment project

Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB) declared the school surplus to its needs in 2018. After a federal grant was denied in 2023 to re-develop the site for affordable housing and a community hub, the municipality decided to purchase the 1.8-hectare property, located at 35 Barker Street in Picton, from the school board.

The objectives of the redevelopment project are to come closest to the original community vision for the site including:

• Providing as many affordable housing units as possible, with affordability as defined in the County’s Municipal Housing Project Facilities By-Law
• Creating a community hub, similar to the original vision, for local organizations
• Allowing the municipality to recoup its investment in the property (approximately $1.5 million) within the 2024 calendar year
• Being positioned to move forward with the redevelopment as quickly as possible

An expression of interest (EOI) to the community was launched in the summer 2024 to move the vision to reality. The County of Prince Edward has received five EOIs from parties that wish to partner with the municipality to implement County Council’s vision.

If you have questions or require further information, please contact Adam Goheen, Director of Housing, at 613.476.2148 extension 2509 or email agoheen@pecounty.on.ca.