A vacancy sign may soon hang on the doors of Saint John City Hall. For the past year, the city has been floating the idea of moving to a location it could eventually own, instead of renting.
“It’s more about looking at other options and trying to be more efficient and cost effective,” says Coun. John MacKenzie.
MacKenzie says the city pays between $1.4 to $1.7 million each year to rent the current location. He says he would rather see that money be put into a building it could actually own.
“We encourage people, our own kids when they grow up, to buy a home and own it, so it’s the same type of thing,” says MacKenzie.
“It’s crazy to have buildings that we own and are heating and are empty when we’re paying rent.”
He says the city is considering a few different options, including the old courthouse on Sydney Street.
Saint John resident Albert Chevarie says he would love to see some of the city’s historic buildings be utilized before they run the risk of being torn down.
“We’re losing everything and we shouldn’t. I’d hate to see that go down. It’s part of Saint John. It’s history,” says Chevarie.
“Why pay whatever it is when they can buy a building and they’ve got their own building? That’s saving us money too, at the same time.”
Anne McShane owns a small business in uptown Saint John. She says she is in favour of the move, as long as the city relocates to a vacant building.
“Preferably with the high 45 per cent or so commercial vacancy rate they’ve been talking about recently, hopefully it’s not a new building because I think we’ve got some spaces they can go in,” says McShane. “But other than that, I’d like to hear the options.”
The lease on city hall’s current building expires in two years. City manager Pat Woods expects council to make a decision on the move within the next few months.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Dunbar
