The Committee of the Whole voted against an offer to operate the Wellington Town Hall as a community non-profit last week. 

Councillors Nieman, Prinzen, St-Jean, Pennell, Braney, and Harrison were opposed. Councillor Roberts was absent. 

A motion to list the building on the open market was approved instead. 

Expressions of Interest

A call for Expressions of Interest (EOI)  on the building was put out in 2023. The Wellington Town Hall EOI Working Group was established to oversee the proposals. 

The Wellington Town Hall Foundation made the only submission which met the criteria. The Working Group recommended purrsuing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Foundation.

The lack of interest in the call for EOIs left some councillors concerned about the feasibility of selling the building on the open market. 

“Nobody in their right mind 
is going to buy this building.” 

—Councillor Sam Grosso

“Nobody in their right mind is going to buy this building,” said Councillor Sam Grosso.

The Town Hall needs a substantial investment up front. A 2024 study conducted by Roth IAMS estimated $653,000 in repairs just to keep it functional. 

The WTH Foundation proposed buying the building for a nominal fee of $1, and fundraising to cover phased renovations. A development plan would be assessed in a pre-transaction phase, had they been granted an MOU.

The project co-leads, Christina Zeidler and Sarah Bobas, brought extensive experience in community infrastructure, business, and arts programming. Most notably, Ms. Zeidler was responsible for preserving and reviving the historic Gladstone Hotel in Toronto.

“I’d be happy to sell this to you for a dollar,” said Councillor John Hirsch. “It’s one of the worst buildings in our portfolio.”

Protected from demolition as part of the Wellington Heritage Conservation District, Any potential buyer must be prepared to restore the building in keeping with heritage guidelines. 

But Councillors voted to sell the property on the open market.

Councillor Chris Braney, a vocal proponent of divesting from surplus public buildings, objected, “We should get the best value that we possibly could for this building. It could be a huge asset for somebody who wants private ownership.”

“Get it appraised and get it on the real estate market,” Councillor Phil St-Jean agreed. 

The proposal from the Foundation asked for a 12-24 month period before official ownership transfer to inspect the building and get the ground ready for program development. The municipality would carry the maintenance costs of at least $15,000 per year. 

A motion from Councillor Hirsch to limit the first phase to 12 months was not enough to persuade opposing Councillors to support the plan.

On the other hand, it remains to be seen how long selling the building could take.

Ms. Zeidler and Ms. Bobas pointed out that community feedback during the EOI process was firmly against seeing the space become purely commercial, as in a hotel. 

Instead, residents called for community arts and wellness programming, a hub for events and the farmers’ market. 

“We really heard from the people about what was missing,” said Ms. Bobas. “Everybody has a space they went to when they were growing up.”

Ms. Zeidler noted that while community amenities are widely available in Picton and Bloomfield, residents of Wellington and environs are craving some local community connection. “The whole west side and Wellington suffer from isolation in the winter.” 

Councillor Janice Maynard wondered if the “best value could also be in community benefit.”

Following the vote, Ms. Zeidler noted that it’s too soon to say what the next steps for the Wellington Town Hall Foundation might be. There is a slim chance for reconsideration when Council approves the COTW motion.