By Andrea Arnold
The Village of McBride has put four parcels of Village-owned properties up for sale. The properties at 964/976 2nd Ave and 1127 Frontage Road have been owned by the Village for several years, but have not been used. 848 1st Ave and 1032/1044 2nd Ave were acquired by the village through the annual tax sale process.
According to McBride Village CAO Chris Tupy, the properties have been owned by the Village for some time and Council recently decided to advertise the sites for private purchase.
“When the properties are owned by the Village, taxes are not collected on them,” said Tupy. “Further, it deprives the community of the ability to re-purpose the spaces into something of more benefit to the community as a whole.”
The decision was also fuelled by some of the Council’s strategic priorities and initiatives to increase economic capacity and community development, and for fiscal and corporate health.
The Village has posted basic appraisal reports for each of the properties on their website. These reports cover the physical characteristics of the property, the area, included services, legal notations, charges, liens, and interests, zoning, a map, photos, sale history, structure assessment, property assessment and taxes, land use controls, as well as information regarding the community as a whole.
Anyone interested in the properties can arrange tours through the Village office by calling 250-569-2229. Sealed bids can be submitted at any time. Council may consider bids as early as the Sept. 27th Council meeting. Bids should include the property, proposed price, deposit information, desired closing date, transfer costs responsibility, conditions, names of purchaser and ownership structure as well as the proposed use of the property. Details of the requirements can be found on the Village of McBride website.
Council will be reviewing all offers. They will decide if the proposed usage is keeping with the overall vision for the community and aligns with its Zoning Bylaw and Official Community Plan. The Village says this may mean they may not choose the highest bid, or they may refuse all offers for a specific location.
