A seniors’ housing and community hub proposed for Bloomfield took a step forward on Tuesday.

Following a closed-session report on Tuesday, council supported a motion to purchase the former Pinecrest Memorial Elementary School in Bloomfield.

After discussing the terms and conditions of the offer in closed session, council moved into open session and supported the purchase. Council directed staff to bring forward a bylaw authorizing the purchase of the 27 Corey Street property to their July 24 council meeting for enactment.

Following approval of the purchase, council also supported a motion directing staff to bring forward a report regarding a partnership agreement between the municipality and Emmanuel Baptist Church’s LoveSong Senior Housing and Community Hub group as it relates to the offer to purchase Pinecrest for the purpose of redeveloping the site into a seniors’ co-housing residence and community hub.

At their board meeting on June 22, the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board announced trustees had approved the dispersal of Pinecrest Memorial and the adjacent grounds which had been declared surplus in 2017.

In keeping with HPEDSB practice surrounding such matters, the school board did not announce the party to which they had sold the property and would not confirm to the Gazette that the municipality was the buyer.

–Staff