PICTOU – The sale of the River John School is complete.
Staff with the Municipality of Pictou County confirmed during a property services meeting Tuesday the signatures were done this week on the final pieces of paperwork for the sale of the school to local fisherman Nicholas Bigney.
A few of the remaining pieces of paperwork involved a buyback clause for the county if the building is not developed in two years.
Warden Robert Parker said this clause is common in such sale agreements because it assures the community that the building will not be sitting vacant for years.
The former consolidated school, which closed in 2015, has been vacant since June after the lease with the River John Action Society expired and the county opted to see if the building would sell.
County staff recommended in September 2017 that, due to the lack of interest, the building be demolished in the New Year, but Bigney approached council in January about purchasing it.
In addition to the sale itself, the other good news is that the county saved a lot of money by not having to demolish the building, said Parker.
The county spent $50,000 in 2014-2015 to cover the cost of heat, lights and snow clearing and an additional $35,000 as of April 2017. The demolition was expected to cost the county about $500,000 and was included in the 2017-2018 budget.
