Today’s Northumberland reached out to Northumberland County for comment if they intended to look into purchasing the former Brookside Youth Centre property located at 390 King Street East.
The property was listed on the market on February 8, 2024 for a purchase price of just over nine million dollars for the 30 acre property.
Warden Brian Ostrander stated, “County Council recognizes the need to rapidly expand housing across the entire the entire spectrum, from enhanced shelter services, to supportive, transitional, and affordable housing options.
The County reviewed the Brookside property extensively, including meetings with the province, as an opportunity for affordable housing and homelessness solutions to address community need.
Ultimately, Council determined that with the cost of the purchase, plus the complexity of the property for development purposes – including multiple buildings, restrictions related to waterways, flood plains and historic buildings – it was not the right option to pursue with property tax dollars. The business case simply was not there to repurpose this property for our core mandate of affordable housing considering the cost and complexity.
The County is nevertheless looking at other parcels of land across Northumberland that would be the right fit to help advance our commitment to delivering over 250 additional affordable housing units by 2027.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
