Bayside Mall.(BlackburnNews.com File Photo by Briana Carnegie)Bayside Mall.(BlackburnNews.com File Photo by Briana Carnegie)
Sarnia

Sarnia Council Briefs

Sarnia council has approved selling the Bayside Mall land.

Seasons Retirement Communities owns the building and offered the city $1-million for the land.

A total of 300 underground parking spaces will be made available to the public for paid parking and a 7,000 sq ft piece of property at the corner of Vidal and George streets will be transferred back to the city on closing.

The city is planning to build a new bus terminal on land.

Seasons is planning a $40-million development that would be done in two phases.

The first would see the complete renovation of the southern block, at Cromwell and Vidal streets, start this fall with tenants -- including Lambton Shared Services -- relocating there by Christmas 2019.

The second phase will see a 12-storey tower built on the north-west part of the property at George and Vidal streets.

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City council has agreed to consider identifying the former Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School [SCITS] building as a candidate for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Sarnia Historical Society and Sarnia Heritage Committee are concerned about the building's future once it's vacated by the school board.

Staff have been authorized to undertake a comprehensive heritage assessment of SCITS, subject to 2019 budget approval.

The closure of the school, at 275 Wellington St., continues to be delayed with work at Great Lakes Secondary School on Murphy Rd. taking longer than planned.

The Lambton Kent District School Board said last month students will not be moving to the former St. Clair site in time for the upcoming school year, because of a shortage of skilled trade workers.

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Sarnia council has endorsed plans for a new subdivision.

A rezoning application and draft plan have been approved for the west side of Upper Canada Dr., north of Confederation Line.

Carol Kongas and Robert VanHoorn, the owners of an Ontario numbered company, plan to build 54 semi-detached lots on the 10 acre parcel of land.

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Council has approved capital funding for just over $1-million in upgrades to Errol Russell Park.

The work includes new washroom facilities, covered bleachers, a brick backstop, new netting and poles.

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The permanent closure and decommissioning of the Vidal Street Walkway has been approved.

The walkway has been deemed dangerous by CN Police.

Pedestrians are being asked to safely cross the CN tracks over the Donahue Bridge.

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A five-year lease for a police training centre at Lambton Mall has been approved.

The lease, at a cost of just over $150,000, comes with five extension options of five years each.

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