Former SCITS high school BlackburnNews.com file photo.Former SCITS high school BlackburnNews.com file photo.
Sarnia

Historian's SCITS Proposal Includes City Hall

An idea is being floated for a multi-use community centre at the former SCITS building that could include Sarnia City Hall.

The proposal was put forward by local historian Bob McCarthy at a recent public meeting.

The Wellington St. property could also include a theatre, civic museum, swimming pool, and offices.

Sarnia Historical Society President Ron RealeSmith applauds the proposal, saying something needs to be done to preserve the historic building.

"Come September whether we like it or not, for those that wanted to have SCITS remain there, the fact is that it's not," says RealeSmith. "It will be an empty building, and I'm very worried that we're going to have another abandoned building on our hands. It'll draw a certain element into the building and we'll have the same problems that we do with the old hospital."

In the past, concerns have been expressed that the current city hall isn't big enough, and some employees are forced to work off-site.

"Bob would want to pay for that by selling off the land that the city owns where staff are scattered throughout the city," says RealeSmith. "This would be a great opportunity to consolidate those properties and to move everyone into one building. It also solves the problem that we have where this building is about to become surplus for the county."

Meanwhile, they also discussed moving Sarnia's historical artifacts into the city so that residents have a better chance to see them.

Right now, a lot of them are housed at the Lambton Heritage Museum in Grand Bend.

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