The city has found a buyer for the historic jail and courthouse properties in Owen Sound that have sat vacant for years.
City council approved a recommendation at its meeting Monday night to accept a $50,000 offer from Nick Ainis in trust for the properties at 1235 and 1259 3rd Avenue East.
“The proposal by this group includes a wedding venue, dining and entertainment complex with a shared workspace area,” Owen Sound’s Director of Community Services Pam Coulter told councillors. The redeveloped site would also include an interactive museum, her report to council explains.
The sale is due to close on May 27.
Coulter’s report says the agreement of purchase and sale includes a multi-step buyback clause to allow the city to reacquire the property if certain development milestones are not met over time. Notably, it proposes the developer have a building permit and commence construction within two years.
There have been buyers lined up for the properties twice in the past that walked away because the buildings ended up being unsuitable for their purposes: Southbridge Care Homes and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.
Owen Sound has owned the courthouse since 1960 and purchased the jail from Grey County in 2013. Both properties located on 3rd Avenue East have sat vacant since 2014 and continued to deteriorate.
In 2018, the city retained Taylor Hazell Architects to complete a Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report and Heritage Impact Assessment. The preservation and adaptive reuse of the heritage designated 19th century courthouse was set as the highest priority through that process.
The courthouse is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act; the jail property is listed on the city’s heritage registry.
In June 2021, the city issued a request for proposals for the jail and courthouse properties and received no responses. A month later, the city listed them for sale for $249,000 and requested offers that address several criteria relating to redevelopment.
Coulter told councillors Monday night the city received four conditional offers and three proponents were invited to share their redevelopment visions with council. She says council then directed the city sign back the agreement of purchase and sale with Ainis.
“I think the community is going to find Mr. Ainis wonderfully enthusiastic about this project,” says Coun. Scott Greig. “He has had his eyes on this (property) for several years. And I certainly think that his enthusiasm for the community is going to be met by members of our public when they get a chance to engage and learn more of his plans.”