Future uncertain for abandoned Bloomfield School that caught fire over weekend

It’s unclear who will get the bill for the former Bloomfield School in Halifax that caught fire over the weekend.

As the former Bloomfield School in Halifax continues to be partially demolished after it was severely damaged in a fire over the weekend, questions remain on who will front the bill and what the site’s future holds.

Firefighters responded to the former Bloomfield School on Agricola Street around 1:35 a.m. Sunday. They found flames on the first floor and basement of the structure.

Nearly 50 firefighters brought the fire under control by 5:45 a.m., but one building was destroyed.

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency continues to investigate the cause of the fire.

On Wednesday, the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) said work to tear down the unstable walls of the Bloomfield building has begun, resulting in road closures in the area for several hours.

According to Brynn Budden, a spokesperson with the municipality, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency has contracted the demolition service and will pay for it.

“The Halifax Regional Municipality will consider if cost recovery from the property owner is appropriate,” said Budden.

Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore says he thinks the entire site should be cleared, rather than just a partial demolition.

“I’ve said for a long time that the site needs to be housing. It’s on a transit corridor that’s being improved, it’s near existing infrastructure, grocery stores, professional offices, banks. It’s all there so this is a great place for housing in our core, so that’s the future of the site,” said Fillmore.

Fillmore says councillor Virginia Hinch plans to bring a motion to council next week with what she would like to see happen with the site.

“I believe it will have to do with site remediation and next steps,” he said.

Hinch echoes Fillmore’s comments, saying the property should be used for housing – an idea that was once planned before the Nova Scotia government pulled out as the developer of the project in 2016.

HRM sold the property to developer BANC in 2020 for nearly $22 million.

The deal included a five-year deadline for the developer to start revamping the property, including developing a public space and block of affordable housing units.

“They’re tearing down a portion of the building. I’d rather them tear down the whole building and put the bill on the developer,” Hinch said.

“My hope is that we can buy it back from the developer so that we can do other things with it. Whether it’s a school, or it could be the new police station, that could be a plan … or housing.”

Hinch says she isn’t surprised something like this has happened at the Bloomfield site.

“Bloomfield’s been vacant for a very, very long time and nothing has been done at this point. We haven’t put anything or any onus on the developer to do something with the property, so it’s no surprise,” she said.

Councillor David Hendsbee says the property owner did everything he could to try and preserve the safety of the site, including fencing, blocked windows and boarded-up doors.

He says now that the building is being demolished, this may speed up the issue of the Robie Street Corridor.

“The widening for the bus lanes so that may accelerate that particular aspect of that project,” said Hendsbee.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Callum Smith.

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