Province looks to develop former Summerset Manor site again

The province is again looking for a private developer who would be willing to take over the property the former Summerset Manor in Summerside, P.E.I., sits on.

For the second time, the province which owns the 1.1-hectare property has tendered a request for proposals (RFP)for parties interested indeveloping the property.

When it issued an RFP before, the province did not receive any formal responses.

Representatives from the city met with the province to discuss the future of the property and what could be developed on it.

"In the coming weeks, requests for proposals will be issued for interested developers to create 20 units of seniors housing in theSummersidearea," said P.E.I.'s Minister of Family and Human Services Tina Mundy.

"The redevelopment of the previousSummersetManor will be included in thisRFP.At this point, we don't know what the response will be, of course."

There was one thing both sides agreed on:the building will be torn down.

Provincial housing strategy

SummersideMayor Bill Martin saidthe property has become a safety concern.

"Any time you have a building in the centre of your city that's deteriorated to the point that it no longer can be repurposed, you know you run the risk of things happening ... We need it taken down," Martin said.

"It's a big building and parts of it are removed from the public eye and bad things can happen in situations like that."

The meeting also included a discussion about how the city and province can collaborateon affordable housing options and on the provincial housing strategy.

"Governmentwill look at all possible ways to collaborate with municipalities, private developers, community-building organizations and communities on long-term solutions to growing housing demands," Mundy said.

'Needs to be demolished'

The city said it would like to see a portion of the land used for a new fire hall.

"There's no doubt that something's going to be done with that building and it needs to be demolished," Martin said.

"It's coming down."

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