N.S. considers sale of aging convention centre

The Nova Scotia government says it might sell an aging convention centre to the Halifax Regional Municipality to offset the cost of building a new one in the city's downtown.

Premier Darrell Dexter said Thursdayhe has been talking toPeter Kelly, the mayorof Halifax, aboutselling the World Trade and Convention Centre to the city.

"I have suggested to him that the City of Halifax may wish to purchase that building," Dexter told reporters.

"We know that it has a fair market value and we're willing to look at its continued operation until a new centre is brought on."

Dexter said his cabinet hasn't yet decided whether it will move ahead with the plan to build the new centre. He said officials are still reviewing the finances of the deal and want to ensure that building a new centre will not mean the old one sits empty just a few blocks away.

The premier said the mayor seemed "quite excited" when the ideaof selling the building to the city was proposed.

"He seemed, in fact, quite excited about the prospect of being able to receive that facility. Of course, there is lots of use they would be able to make of it."

Kelly said the city is reviewing the proposal, but he wants to make sure the costs make sense to taxpayers.

"This is one [idea] that's been around but we have not made any decision," Kelly said Thursday.

Waiting for cabinet's decision

He added that the city would be interested in buying the building if it allows them to make improvements to the attached Halifax Metro Centre an arena and concert venue which the city owns.

"We may say we're interested in a third, we're interested inhalf, or we're not interested. We don't know yet," said Kelly.

The NDP government announced Wednesday that the new centre would cost taxpayers about $327 million over 25 years a figure that has been criticized by some astoo costly.

The total capital cost of $159 million includes$119 million for construction, $21 million for engineering and design and $19 million for interim financing.

While Dexter insisted on Thursday that his cabinet has not yet made a decision about the project, he said his "level of comfort with it continues to grow."

"I'm persuaded by whatI have seen with respect to both thebenefits and the obvious lack of the current facility to be able to meet the needs of the region."

Earlier Thursday, Justice Minister Ross Landry spoke as if the provincial government had already made up its mind.

"I think the decision is a sound decision," Landry told reporters."I think the information that we're basing it on and where we're going as a province, itwill have economic benefitsthroughout the province."