Plans to redevelop the Bloomfield site in north-end Halifax have been revived and will be discussed at Tuesday's regional council meeting after the previous effort collapsed a year ago.

"We're really happy that the city is once again moving ahead on the plan," said Ron Skibbens, board member with the community group Imagine Bloomfield. "It's more than a dozen years in the making."

A former school sits on the 1.3-hectare site along with two other buildings on the property.

Imagine Bloomfield helped create a master plan for the site. It included space for artistic and cultural organizations and businesses, as well as open space and affordable housing.

A provincial agency, Housing Nova Scotia, was awarded the job of redeveloping Bloomfield, but walked away in April 2016, saying the project would expose taxpayers to risks that were higher than it could accept.

Halifax municipal planners then put the process on hold while new development rules were considered under the city's centre plan for development.

Call for fresh proposals

(Halifax Regional Municipality)

In a new report, staff suggest putting out a fresh request for proposals. Their report also says the conditions of sale should ensure the redevelopment includes affordable housing, open space and artistic and community space.

"We've always been an advocate that it be a family-friendly area — 20 to 40 per cent affordable would be great," said Skibbens.

The city plans to demolish the main building and try to save at least elements of the Fielding and Common buildings because of their heritage value. It costs the municipality $90,000 a year to maintain the property.

There is one other wrinkle. The Conseil scolaire acadien provincial is interested in the Bloomfield property for a P-12 francophone school on the Halifax peninsula. Municipal officials met with representatives of the school board, Francophone Centre, and Université Sainte-Anne this spring and discussions are ongoing.

City planners say another level of government would be needed to acquire the municipal property on behalf of the school board.