Searching for a board home downtown
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...-home-downtown
Parking, accessibility and a downtown location are some of the factors to be taken into consideration the search for the public school board’s new home.
Establishing a list of criteria, which also includes the possibility of school board ownership, parameters around use of space and a focus on city-owned sites, was the first chore for the joint city-public school board task force at its inaugural meeting Wednesday morning.
The criteria are expected to help city staff narrow down viable scenarios for school board locations in the core.
The task force, which consists of trustees Karen Turkstra and Tim Simmons as well as councillors Brian McHattie and Jason Farr, was assembled earlier this month at the request of the city, which has urged the board to explore options for staying downtown.
The school board’s current plan calls for its new $31 million education centre to be built at the former Crestwood school site on the Mountain. The board will vacate its current home at 100 Main St. W. this summer so McMaster can begin work on its new downtown health campus which will be built on that site.
The city is scheduled to report back to the school board Apr. 16 with information on viable downtown options. The task force will meet next on Apr. 5.