Proposals received for sale of Shelburne Place

The proposal is one of two received last week for the 209-acre property including all buildings and assets associated with the former youth centre.

“We are not at a liberty to discuss the particulars,” says Mayor Darian Huskilson Chair of Team Shelburne; instead to protect the potential buyer’s anonymity refers to them as ‘proposal A’ and ‘proposal B’.

“Team Shelburne has given me 15 days to turn the proposal (‘A’) into a firm document and am working on it right now,” says Frank Anderson Director of the South West Shore Regional Development Authority.

Team Shelburne looked at the proposals, weighing out the price offered as well as a viable business plan.

Team Shelburne, who is comprised of the five municipal leaders of Shelburne County, acquired the site from the government for the purpose of economic development for the county, along with $600,000 to keep it running for two years. While Team Shelburne manages Shelburne Place, the South West Shore Development Authority holds the property in trust for them.

Of those funds approximately $400,000 are left.

According to Mayor Huskilson the funds from the sale of the property and what is left over from the government will go towards the Industrial Commission a community group comprised of municipal units and businesses with the interest of securing new and existing businesses in Shelburne County.

At previous Team Shelburne meetings demolition was discussed for the fate of the site at a time when there were no offers coming in.

Mayor Huskilson is pleased with the pending sale of Shelburne Place and is hopeful it will go through. “Considering what options we discussed in the past anything that happens is a positive step forward…there will be some economic impact with employment and taxes.”

He assures the proposal has merit for both price and a business strategy for economic development.

“We are not looking to sell the farm for nothing,” he states.