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SD76 puts Riverside School up for sale

Nov 21, 2017 | 11:19 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — After more than a century of service to the community, SD76 has put Riverside School up for sale.

The school, which was built in 1916, officially closed its doors in June. The board made the decision in 2015 to close the school due to declining enrolment and the cost of ensuring the building was modernized.

“The building is very old, and there’s a lot of repairs, and it’s unlikely to ever be used as a school again, so we may as well dispose of it and move on,” said Jerry Labossiere, secretary-treasurer with SD76.

Since the school closed its doors, the Medicine Hat Police Service has used the building for training purposes, but it has otherwise sat vacant. The board started advertising requests for tenders three weeks ago, and have received interest from nine parties.

Labossiere says before the school can be put up for sale, it had to be independently evaluated by two separate appraisers. He adds the Ministry of Education remains involved in the process, including the final approval of the tender.

“They’re involved in the process of a school closure, and they’re also involved in the process of disposal,” he said. “One of the reasons for their involvement is they want to ensure that no other schools have a need, and whether the property being disposed of would be suitable for another school board. They’ve indicated no such interest in the property.”

Labossiere adds if the board doesn’t receive a tender with a suitable bid, they will request the Ministry of Education to take the school to a realtor.

Labossiere says if the sale goes through, the division will put the proceeds in its reserve funds.

The school, located on Second Street Northwest, sits on 40 278 square metre sized lots.

Those interested in purchasing the school can submit a proposal before 2 p.m. on December 1 at the School Division office. Proposals need to be clearly marked “Riverside School Proposal – attention Secretary Treasurer.” Tender information can be obtained by contacting the office of the director of facilities at 403-528-6700, ext. 6921.