Step One- Check! Purchase price was $845,900.00
Mix a little opportunity with some hard work and we could really have something amazing here in Harrow and Colchester. After a month of listening to community and working around the clock on the file, I have come up with a 6 point plan. This plan is not something council has endorsed but it is a great idea and would seem personal if they did not. The condition of the building is not as bad as some are making it out to be. The Highschool was closed for capacity reasons not condition reasons. In fact, it’s newer than many schools and town facilities. Not all of the costs have to be borne by the “tax payers” and it does not all have to be done overnight either. I’m just asking for the chance, the opportunity.
Step One
Acquire the old Harrow High School building and land. They are now a package deal. We can NOT just buy the greenspace. This is our recreational core and it would be shameful for council to not secure the land and building for PUBLIC community space.
Step Two
Consolidate existing buildings and services into one building that better suits our purposes. One example is selling the pole barn on McAffee Street and moving the equipment into the High School Shops. This example would be off-loading an old asset and help in smoother operations for the Community Services Staff. I have many other examples that could be vetted out and add to cost savings to give money down for the purchase price.
Step Three
Find viable tenants to offset the operating cost. The Harrow Daycare is a fantastic example and their expansion would support families in our town. I have been approached by several other rent paying tenants and the town has not officially put out a request for interest yet. That space is not all that big and I am sure we can fill it twice!
Step Four
Use some space as Community Space. The gym and the cafeteria are examples of rooms that should be multi-use rooms, shared and rented by the community. We want to be a community that offers a wide variety of programs, chess tournaments, Kinsmen bingos, arts and culture, badminton, basketball, etc. The list goes on and on. We can do everything that is offered in the Ward 1 gym. Being a mom of young children, driving out of our community is an inhibitor of access to programs for my family. Being a young mom on council also keeps me connected to what families need in our town.
Step Five
Find community sponsors to fix up the rooms, gym floor, etc. Can we look to Rotary, Kinsmen and businesses in our community for naming rights? This community is strong, proud, and dedicated. Given the opportunity to knock on the service club doors or businesses, I would! If the community can raise 50k for fireworks, certainly we can raise some money to repair the school. I know we can. I’m asking council to give us the chance.
Step Six- Council can heal this community
By doing all of the above what do we achieve? A community center that pays for itself, a hub that draws families to move here and a new culture in our town.
The School Board took away our high school, that is gone, we know that.
I am asking Town Council to not take away this opportunity.
All we need is a little bit of opportunity and some hard work. I know many people are behind this idea and ready to jump in with both feet if given the opportunity.
Doers Do… Lets Do This!
Councillor Bondy
