Charlottetown councillor hopeful city will buy historic log home

A Charlottetown councillor is hopeful the city will consider buying andrestoring ahistoric property in the downtown.

The log house on Hillsborough Streetwhich is believed to date back to the 1840s was purchased by Ray Campbell with the hope of turning it into a cafe. But Campbell saidupon discovering the true age of the structure, and how much money would be neededto restore it, he's left with an investment he can'tprofit from.

Now, Coun.Greg Rivard,chair of Charlottetown's planning and heritage committee, is floating the ideathat the city might find a way to buy it.

He's also thinking the city could partner with Holland College's heritage retrofit carpentry program to have students do therepairs and restoration.

Owner open to selling

Rivard saidthe first step in the process would be to reach out to Ray Campbell and see whether he's interested in selling the property to the city.

He said if Campbell is interested in selling the property, the next step would be agreeing on a figure.

"We may have to get an appraisal on the property," said Rivard. "Once we get a number, it'll be a case of us as a council reviewing it and voting on whether we as a city want to purchase the property. Then it's into discussions with Holland College, if that's the way we want to go."

The property is currently listed for sale,and owner Ray Campbell told CBChe's open to the idea of selling it to the city.

"I am at this stage of my life, yes," said Campbell, a commercial fisherman who saidhis priorities are shifting.

"I used to work away quite a bit out west and I'd kinda like to spend some time with my family ... It's not doing me any good the way it is, it's kind of a weight on my shoulders," said Campbell.

'Something so historic'

Campbell said he's set to meet with representatives from the city this week.

"From the City of Charlottetown perspective it would mean a lot to restore it and to use it either as a cafor an Airbnb," saidRivard.

"And from Holland College, I think that's a givenan opportunity for students in the program, even the teachers in this case, to be able to work with something so historic, so old, I think would be amazing."

Holland College has not yet commented on the possibility of being involved in theproject.

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