Potential buyer emerges for Princess Site

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This article was published 21/10/2023 (1058 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Princess Site in Brandon is no longer up for sale, and discussions with a potential buyer are underway, according to the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation. This means that there may finally be a glimmer of hope for the Site after it has been vacant for 11 years.

“We’re not actively looking for buyers now,” BDDC downtown development coordinator Emmanuel Ahaneku told the Sun. “We are fine-tuning a few things regarding the current occupants of the Town Centre with the potential buyer. Payment has not been made, but we have gone far with the potential buyer.”

While Ahaneku remained tight-lipped about the identity of the potential buyer, and the exact cost of the site, he expressed optimism that there would be clarity on the transaction by the end of November.

The potential buyer’s plans, he said, include the development of both Site A and Site B of the Princess Site, adding that the conditions for the development require the inclusion of both land and property, compliance with the city’s zoning bylaw, and a building land coverage of 40 per cent.

The Site, as described by Ahaneku, comprises several vacant properties, including 901 Princess Avenue, 156 9th Street, 144 9th Street, 123 10th Street, and 137 10th Street, all of which are vacant land or parking lots. Additionally, 136 9th Street and 149 10th Street form part of the package, with the latter being a vacant structure with a parking lot.

“The discussions between BDDC and the potential buyer also involve plans for the current occupants of the Town Centre,” an industry source told the Sun. “The Town Centre might be demolished, and its occupants could be relocated to a new building to be erected on the Princess Site. Parts of the Town Centre might serve as a location for constructing new structures, including residential buildings.”

He added that the potential sale and development of the Princess Site mark a significant turning point for the area that has remained vacant for over a decade.

In a surprising turn of events, Ahaneku, who had previously indicated that the former Strand Theatre part of the Princess Site was still up for sale, clarified that he was unaware that this part had been added to the whole package offered to the potential buyer.

On March 15, 2011, the Brown Block, a part of the Princess Site, suffered a roof collapse due to snow accumulation and was demolished in November of the same year. Former Brandon mayor Shari Decter Hirst blamed the owner for failing to maintain the building. It was built in approximately 1909 and was occupied by many businesses throughout its history. Some of its mid-20th century occupants included Canadian Pacific Telegraphs, O. Stark & Son, and Pittsburgh Paint and Glass.

The other part of the site is the space occupied by the former Strand Theatre. Efforts were made by the Brandon Folk, Music and Arts Society in 2011 to restore the space as a performance venue, but fundraising attempts faced challenges, and the project stalled. Brandon University bought the facility in 2017, determining that restoring the deteriorated building was economically unfeasible.

However, in May 2021, Brandon University changed its plans and announced that the 6,500-square-metre section of Brandon’s downtown core would remain vacant and that plans to establish a secondary campus at the site had been shelved. This decision was made with the City of Brandon and BDDC, which had been working on the downtown campus project since 2014.

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