Council approved the sale of the Maple Avenue Fire Hall to the Medicine Hat & District Food Bank Monday ( CHAT NEWS Today)

By Tiffany Goodwein

City council approves sale of Maple Avenue Fire Hall for food bank

Jul 20, 2020 | 9:32 PM

MEDICINE HAT AB – The Medicine Hat & District Food Bank is a step closer to calling the Maple Avenue Fire Hall building home. In a 7-1 vote, Medicine Hat City Council voted to approve the sale of the Maple Avenue Fire Hall to the Medicine Hat & District Food Bank.

“It’s really exciting, we are now moving into the due diligence phase to try and make sure that it is a fit for both the city and for us and we are really grateful that council came out and supported it, and we are certainly grateful for those who spoke for it tonight,” Celina Symmonds, Executive Director of the Medicine Hat & District Food Bank, told CHAT NEWS Today after the vote.

Under the land deal, the city will acquire the food bank building along South Railway valued at $500,000, and in turn the Medicine Hat & District Food Bank will need to pay $800,000 towards the city, to make up the price of the Fire Hall which is listed at $1.3 million.

During the meeting, council was caught between supporting social services or holding off on the sale until a corporate interest came through.

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The Medicine Hat & District Food Bank is a non-profit , therefore they are exempt from paying property taxes. The Maple Avenue Fire Hall valued at $1.3 million would generate well over $20,000 a year in property tax revenue.

One of the Councillors who ultimately supported the sale, but grappled with the loss of tax revenue was Coun. Phil Turnbull.

“There was several of the councillors that thought that piece of property on Maple Avenue, for commercial and tax base and employment opportunities for citizens was very important, and especially the tax portion because we want to build our tax base, ” Coun. Turnbull said.

The building did generate some commercial interest, but Turnbull could not say by whom due to confidentiality.

“I think at the time we didn’t think the price was good enough for us but once you get someone interested and you drive by Maple Avenue, that is a beautiful piece of property, it’s big, lots of parking, lot’s of opportunity to expand ” he said, adding it may prove to be more difficult to sell the food bank property than the Maple Avenue Fire Hall, but he ultimately believes the food bank serves an important role in the community.

“The food bank is a great organization, our city couldn’t survive without it,” Coun. Turnbull said.

Coun. Kris Samraj, who lives near downtown and is a member of the CCDA., was the lone Councillor to vote against the proposal, due to the location.

“I thought a lot about the challenges of the downtown neighborhood, and I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the main issues is the concentration of social services there and I hope that council will begin to have a conversation about the impacts to the neighborhoods that accompanies social developments. I think right now we have not been very intentional about where we locate social services,” Samraj said noting his appreciation towards the direction of the food bank.

The Medicine Hat & District Food Bank hopes to use the new building as a community hub with a focus on food sustainability.