Burlington on verge of acquiring Bateman site from Halton school board

The City of Burlington is on the verge of acquiring the Robert Bateman High School site in a deal that would include a swap of land connected to Central High School.

At the June 21 council meeting, City staff was authorized to take steps to complete the purchase with the Halton District School Board. In addition to the direction to purchase the site, City staff were also authorized to:

• Transfer ownership of approximately five acres of City owned-land to the Halton District School Board (HDSB) as a component of the land exchange for the Robert Bateman site.
• Proceed with a long-term lease of a portion of the Bateman site to the HDSB
• Proceed with the long-term lease of a portion of the Bateman site to Brock University

The only thing unknown at this point, however, is how much taxpayer money will change hands between the two government bodies. That won’t be disclosed until closer to the autumn closing date, once all matters related to the land transactions and lease arrangements are finalized.

Councillor Paul Sharman, Ward 5

“In 2017, I committed to make sure the City of Burlington would purchase the property for the benefit of all community members for generations to come,” said Paul Sharman, Ward 5 councillor.

“I worked to ensure the site would be acquired at a suitable price and under acceptable conditions. It is a pleasure to report the City has accomplished those goals. Although there is still more work to be done, we can all look forward to a grand opening ceremony of a wonderful new Burlington community centre and learning hub.”

In addition to the partnership with the HDSB and Brock University, the City also plans to partner with other institutions, ensuring that there is an adaptive reuse strategy for the site and to create a sustainable community hub.

This includes the Burlington Library relocating its Appleby Line branch to this location to develop a place for learning and education and the relocation of TechPlace, a hub led by Burlington Economic Development, where the tech community can connect, develop and grow their business.

Public engagement will take place in early 2023 to seek community feedback on possible uses for the remaining space.

“We’ve hit another milestone in our quest to acquire this site for community uses,” said Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.

“I’m glad this was a unanimous vote at Council. The deal is expected to close on Sept. 30, unless otherwise extended, and we should be in a position at that time to release more details to the public.”