Don Bosco to become our Training Facility?

[paulwoods13]

There are two parties in this potential negotiation. The site may or may not prove to be ideal as a practice/training facility, but even if it does, there is no guarantee we'll end up there permanently. The school board (or whichever public body owns the site) may want more than it's worth to the Argos. The land could be developed for other purposes. This is far from being settled.

[Shatto]

The school board will not usually sell a property, as they then have to return a large amount of the sale price back to the province. This why public school boards will lease to another boards or private schools. When they lease, they get to keep the monies from the lease arrangement, since they still own the property. Normally, a school closes because of low enrolment as a result of the community maturing and sometimes the board planners predict, the school site might be required, some 10 to 20 years in the future, as a result of future developments in the area. There have even been cases, where a public school board will sell the air rights above the school but still retain ownership of the school facilities and since they retain ownership of the school they get to keep the money for renovations to other properties.

Shipyard, is correct, that by signing a one year short term lease, the Argos can test-run the feasibility of the site. Additionally they may have earned first right of refusal by signing this one year contract but only the parties negotiating the agreement would be able tell us that.

The school could potentially, be a very good site for the Argos as it would provide open spaces in the gym and other such areas, the office area is already setup and the classrooms could easily be converted to extra office space, change rooms, meeting rooms etc. It could be an exciting prospect.