St. Catharines Downtown Association

Remember the downtown performing arts thingy?

Didn't think so.

Time, therefore, to rustle up some news about The Project That Would Save St. Catharines, lest it completely disappear from the community consciousness.

The land assembly for the arts palace/school is nearing an end.

St. Catharines city council voted in camera last week to make a final offer to the one remaining holdout on St. Paul Street.

If it's rejected ... well, council's not saying.

But it doesn't take a genius to figure out the next step will likely be notice to expropriate the property at 240-42 St. Paul St., where currently sits a used book store and a used record shop.

So, don't delay. Get that Jethro Tull Thick As A Brick album now.

The decision to launch expropriation proceedings is a sensitive one for municipalities. It sort of conjures up the image of Big Brother making a land grab.

As such, Mayor Brian McMullan was at pains to point out the city has "made every effort to negotiate in good faith to try to simply purchase the property."

It took into consideration the provincially assessed value of the property and also had it independently appraised, said McMullan, but after months of negotiating, the city and the property owner -- a company called Building From Scratch -- remain "pretty far apart."

Please see full story in The St. Catharines Standard by D. Herod