A A

SYDNEY, N.S. —

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said Friday that said despite not having all formal acquisition agreements in place with landowners, he expects the Nova Scotia Community College’s new waterfront campus to be open by the fall of 2024.

The new Marconi campus will encompass the waterside of the Esplanade in Sydney, from Falmouth to Crescent streets.

The relocation involves the purchase of multiple properties including rental spaces, a private home, a gas station, municipally-owned waterfront and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s main Sydney fire station.

The location where the province plans to have the new Nova Scotia Community College Marconi Campus. PHOTO/CONTRIBUTED

McNeil was asked if the five-year targeted opening date - coupled with possible expropriation and the remediation of a fuel site - could be viewed as a lofty goal.

“No, listen, I think the college has demonstrated their commitment in being able to manage their projects,” McNeil said in a scrum after the announcement.

“We believe we can get there. Many of (the landowners) have already agreed to price … if expropriation is required it will be the last piece, but we’ll compensate fairly – it won’t be the province it will only be a third party to give the value. And we will be mindful of the fact that people will require some time to move out of their facility.”

In Nova Scotia, the independent quasi-judicial body known as the Utility and Review Board determines compensation under the Expropriation Act where a property owner and an expropriating authority cannot agree on compensation to be paid for expropriated land.

In many cases the process of deciding compensation has taken years to complete.

A crowd of politicians, business people and other dignitaries gathered Friday afternoon at a property near the Sydney fire department that was unveiled as the future home of the NSCC Marconi campus. ERIN POTTIE/CAPE BRETON POST

In an interview last month, Cecil Clarke, the mayor of the CBRM, said he became involved in the project once the province indicated a willingness and desire to put the community college in the downtown core.

Clarke said that once a preferred spot had been decided, decisions on changing the municipal footprint would follow.

With design work for the new waterfront campus already underway, McNeil said NSCC is taking the lead role in the project.

Marconi Campus Principal Fred Tilley said moving the 230,000 square-foot Reserve Mines facility to the downtown waterfront will be quite the task.

“It certainly will be a process,” he said. “We do have a bit of experience (with the) waterfront campus in Halifax.

“As we get further into it, we’ll certainly be able to have a better idea of what the building will look like.”

Tilley said in its current form, Marconi campus does not offer all the amenities that modern facilities can provide to students.

A goal of the new campus will be to allow students to interact and collaborate with one another in a more effective way.

Currently located next door to Cape Breton University, Tilley said the two post-secondary institutions will carry forward their strong working relationship.

“We expect that will be able to continue that and potentially even do more collaboration,” he said.

Tilley said the redevelopment also provides NSCC administrators with the opportunity of exploring new or improved programming for students.

New business owner Tori Horvath, who opened Boysenberry Boutique and Café on Charlotte Street in June, said she could not contain her excitement about the potential for the downtown.

“Knowing the NSCC is just going to be a walk away from my business is the most amazing thing that could happen to Sydney,” Horvath said.

“I know a lot of people complain about the parking issue – there’s not many places to park, but if we have an NSCC down here and that problem arises then you see people putting up parking garages and adding more parking outlets. It’s a domino effect, it has to go in that order, we can’t build parking garages if there’s no one to park in them.”

The cost for the detailed design and development of the new campus, including its site preparation and land acquisition, is expected to cost roughly $18-million.

NSCC is expected to soon begin releasing RFPs for design and engineering, construction maintenance and inspection work.

According to the province, the building is expected to have a modern design, open spaces and state-of-the art technology.

It will also be built in accordance with Rick Hansen Foundation accessibility standards and guidelines and current environmental standards.

McNeil was asked about the timing of Friday’s flurry of announcements, as there are two byelections looming on the island.

“We want to be prepared for the major construction stuff next year, but in order to then capitalize on that window we need to see dirt moving now,” he said. “And that’s why we moved to have them here. We expect to have dirt moving next year.”

According to its website, the NSCC Marconi Campus currently hosts a population of 1,200 students.

RELATED:

Sources reveal to Cape Breton Post where province could build downtown Sydney NSCC campus