CANMORE – The Canadian Rockies Public School division has hired a consultant to begin the process of looking at a parcel of land it owns in Canmore for future development potential.
The CRPS board of trustees received a report at a meeting Monday (Sept. 24) from its administration on progress toward a strategic asset review.
Superintendent Chris MacPhee confirmed that Calgary firm Marshall Tittemore Architects have been retained to engage in a process to look at lands adjacent to Lawrence Grassi Middle School owned by the public school district.
“All we are doing is at the preliminary stages of exploring if there is a benefit from this land that is contiguous with school property. We are wondering if it would serve our students into the future via a legacy project,” MacPhee said.
The property is also adjacent to the Canmore Community Daycare and Preschool and is along Fourth Street, however, is not currently used for any particular purpose or program at the middle school.
The contract with the architect firm is $70,000 and was included in the board approved 2018-19 capital budget.
CRPS board chair Carol Picard reiterated that the district is very early in the process, and has not yet determined how to proceed with the consultant. However, she said, with a tenuous financial future for the small school district given changes to how funding is allocated by Alberta Education, it is incumbent on the board to understand the potential of such a large land asset.
“We have a big piece of land and we are basically going to brainstorm rather than sit on it,” Picard said. “What is the best use of that land and for the sustainability of our school division? How do we move forward and what does it look like?”
