Former school in Ontario tourist town to be turned into affordable housing, community hub [Video]

Prince Edward County has entered into a public-private partnership to turn the former Queen Elizabeth School in Picton into a 198-unit residential property with a community hub, green space and playground.

“We established housing, particularly affordable housing, as our number one priority,” Mayor Steve Ferguson said about the proposal. “This project, in the heart of our largest settlement area, promises to make an incredible difference in the lives of many. We look forward to this redevelopment moving forward with continued input from the community and service agencies.”

Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board declared the school at 35 Barker Street in Picton surplus in 2018. After a federal grant was denied in 2023 to redevelop the site for affordable housing and a community hub, the municipality decided to purchase the 1.8-hectare property from the school board.

The proposal from New View Holdings, which council supported in principle last November, …