The Town of South Bruce Peninsula announced it has entered into a binding agreement with Sobeys to purchase the site of the former Wiarton Foodland, to serve as the location for its new town hall.
The news came during Tuesday's council meeting, with staff touting the site as the best possible location for a new municipal office, after evaluating options on lands south of town, as well a property that was purchased along Jenny Street.
"The Sobeys site is flat, it's accessible, it's in an amazing location that compliments everything that's around it," said CAO Bill Jones. "I just see it as a really great initiative. At this point in time, just being able to acquire the property and then have future discussions about what we want to see in a town hall, is something I'm looking forward too."
Jones said there would be future reports to council to talk about next steps, which includes deciding whether to retrofit the current building at the corner of William Street and Bayview Street, or build new.
After keeping the contract negotiations hushed, Mayor Jay Kirkland said it was good to have the deal out in the open.
"It's to be able to finally come forward with this in the public," he said. "I would like to thank council and staff, it's been a long negotiation, we've had to bite our lips and not announce anything. It would have been nice to announce something quite a while ago, but that wasn't in the best interest of the town. So congratulations to council and staff for being able to do this and come out with successful negotiations with Sobeys on the property."
A news release from the town highlighted that the location was within walking distance of all downtown amenities and poised to complement existing services and recreational facilities in the area. It could also provide ample parking space, particularly during events hosted at the nearby Bluewater Park.