Province considered buying back former Moncton High School

The New Brunswick government considered,but ultimately opted against,buying back the former MonctonHigh School building to reopen it as a school.

The landmark building on Church Street closed in 2015, and the property was later sold to a company that intended to convert it to leasable commercial space.

Morgan Bell, aspokesperson for the province's education department, confirmed itconsidered"reclaiming" the building for a school.

"However, due to the significant amount of investment that would be needed to meet current educational facilities standards,this is not a viable option," Bell said in an email.

Bell didn't answer questions aboutwhen the idea was consideredor the estimated cost.

CBC News asked the province about whether it had considered the ideaasAnglophone East School District faces a space crunch.The district says several of its Moncton-area schools are over capacity.

Enrolment is projected togrow by more than3,700 students by 2028 reaching22,097. District officialssay that would equate to needing nine more schools.

TheGothic revival-style stone building was constructed in 1934 and opened the following year.

A2009 architect's reportestimated it would cost $48 million to fix the school.

Instead, the province built a new schoolwith the same name at the city's northern edge.It was a controversial decision that continues to come up when new school locations are discussed.

The province sold the heritage building and its football field toHeritage Developments Ltd. for $1 million in 2018.

The company, a Moncton firm that restored historic properties like theCapitol Theatre andMarvens Place, was expected to redevelop the building to lease it as commercial space.

The building has remained largely vacant since it closed as a school. Its gym and 1,300-seat theatre temporarily served as a COVID-19 vaccination clinic.

Heritage Developments received city councilapproval in 2019 to turn the school's formersports field along Wheeler Boulevard into a562-space parking lot.

Ross Carpenter, then-vice president of operations for Heritage Developments, told reporters the company needed the parking spaces as part of its plan to lease the building.

However, the parking lot has yet to be constructed.

Property records show a conditional rezoning agreement for the field was only signed last fallby Carpenter, now president of the company,and Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold.

In 2018, aHeritage Developments official said it expected to spend about$10 million fixing the building.The following year,Carpenter told reporters renovations were going well.

"The amount of asbestos that they thought was there was less," Carpenter said.

Isabelle LeBlanc, a spokesperson for the City of Moncton, says the city issuedbuilding permits in 2019 forsprinkler upgrades, washroom upgrades and masonry repairs.In 2021, a permit was issued forlife-safety upgradesin the auditorium and to install a ramp.

Heritage did not return a request for comment.