St. Thomas Aquinas-Canadian Martyrs has sold a former church site to Saint Mary's University in Halifax but another interested buyer may not be ready to walk away.

"We're pleased with the arrangement we've come to and think it's a win for the parish, the university and the whole community," deacon Dan Daley said.

The Canadian Martyrs' Church site on Inglis Street is adjacent to the university campus, and officials have always included it in their master plan.

"We've made no secret of the fact that we've always been interested in acquiring it," university spokeswoman Margaret Murphy said. "This is great news."

Push for highrises

Neither the school nor the parish would reveal the buying price.

The site is expected to change hands next spring but Ashcroft Homes still thinks its sales agreement should be valid.

That deal fell through at the end of October — and the church parish put the property back on the market.

The Ottawa-based company wanted to build two highrise towers for student residences. The proposal was turned down by Halifax Regional Municipality, and so Ashcroft Homes appealed to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

Legal action

A photo rendering by the Community Coalition of South End Halifax imagines what Inglis Street might look like with two 27- and 31-storey towers. (Community Coalition of South End Halifax)

In a letter to the board, the company's lawyer said the refusal of the development permit resulted in Ashcroft's financing being conditional on the outcome of the appeal.

The lawyer, Nancy Rubin, said this was not acceptable to the church parish.

"Ashcroft remains ready and willing to close the original agreement of purchase and sale and intend to take legal action to enforce its right to do so," she said in the letter.

Meanwhile, Park to Park, a community group opposed to the Ashcroft development, has asked the utility board to dismiss the appeal. That move is supported by Saint Mary's and the municipality.

The church parish also has advised the board that it has withdrawn its consent for the appeal.

Ashcroft's lawyer has asked for more time to respond to the request but the board has not yet agreed.