NDP says Brandt/CNIB deal 'sets a terrible precedent' for Wascana Park

The Saskatchewan NDP wants the provincial government to shut down the Brandt developmentgoing up in Wascana Park.

Brandt tore downthe formerCNIB building in Wascana Park to make way for a commercial facility four times its size.Brandt plans to donate 4,000 square feet of the 77,500 square foot building to CNIB for a new office. Most of the rest of that space will be leased out at market rates.

The Wascana Centre Authority (WCA) that governed the park when plans for the development began never approved the project. It was only approved after the province replaced the WCA with the Provincial Capital Commission,which the government controls.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, MLA Nicole Sarauercommented on a newly-released document detailing who will be allowed tooccupythebuilding.

The document shows that space could be leased for office space or other purposes so long as other tenants don't "detract from the activities" of the CNIB and other tenants in the building.

"I don't know what anti-blind group would be the one organization that wouldn't qualify under that section," saidSarauer

"That leaves the door open to essentially anything."

'We have an amazing thing and we don't want to lose it'

According to Sarauer, the only clarifying information she's received on the deal has been leaked from sources, or obtained via Freedom of Information Requests.

"That information is showing concerns raised as early as 2014 by experts in this field, in [Wascana's] architectural advisory committee," she said.

She also said her party has been hearing rumours that if the Brandt building does not fill up, the Saskatchewan government may look to fill the spaces with government offices.

"We don't know exactly what conversations happened that led up to the agreement. It's clear at least at the time of the lease agreement there was a specific plan for what was going to happen with this strucutre."

The Saskatchewan NDPis calling for increased transparency on the project and a change in governance of WascanaPark.

The park's five guiding pillars are supposed to be education, culture, recreation, the environmentand the seat of government

The addition of certain offices or retail space would not follow those pillars, according to Sarauer.

"The pillars can now be superceded by this lease agreement," she said."It sets a terrible precedent for this park."

Sarauersaidthe provincial government should not have majority control of the board that governs the park. She said Wascana was protected for50 years by the WCA.

"What the Sask Party did was completely change decades of a successful relationship,"Sarauersaid.