CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The future of the Charlottetown Event Grounds will be one of the topics up for discussion when Premier Dennis King meets with the three Charlottetown area mayors later this month.
Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown, Stratford Mayor Steve Ogden and Cornwall Mayor Minerva McCourt usually meet quarterly with the premier to go over a number of issues.
The next one is scheduled for June 24 in Cornwall.
Also on the agenda will be to discuss the future of wastewater in Stratford. Will the town be building its own plant after the lagoon is decommissioned or will the wastewater be pumped over to the Charlottetown plant on Riverside Drive?
“This is just to keep ourselves abreast of what is going on in the communities and how we can work together on some of the concerns that are brought to our attention through residents,’’ Brown said, adding that he plans to bring up the status of the event grounds.
Holland College is still actively pursuing acquiring the property, from the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation with the goal of using the green space as a playing/practice field for its athletes, one that can accommodate soccer and football.
Sandy MacDonald, president of the college, has stressed repeatedly that events held annually on the property, such as the P.E.I. Shellfish Festival and the Jack Frost Winterfest would stay put.
Brown wants to know how far down the road discussions have gone between the college and the province.
But the Charlottetown mayor said there’s a lot of questions up in the air. The premier did promise during the election debate to reinstate a capital area development corporation after the previous Liberal government took over sole control in 2016. Brown said that could leave a lot of things in limbo.
“I want to set up a new capital area development corporation so we can handle these issues, past and future. Are we going forward? Let’s get a plan in here so we can make some headway.’’
Brown isn’t optimistic the city could afford to purchase the property, certainly not at market value.
He said the city has bigger priorities, such as replacing its two community rinks, Cody Banks and Simmons, developing a major roundabout for the St. Peters Road/Brackley Point Road and Belvedere Avenue intersection and generally paving city streets.
“Why buy something we just can’t afford when we have more important priorities?’’