Burlington City Council Unanimously Gives Staff 'Go Ahead' to Purchase Robert Bateman High School Site

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At its June 21 meeting, Burlington City Council unanimously approved several motions directing staff to take all the necessary steps to complete the acquisition of Robert Bateman High School and the land exchange and lease transaction proposals.Click here for a news release issued by the City of Burlington or scroll further down this post.

"We've hit another milestone in our quest to acquire this site for community uses. I'm glad this was a unanimous vote at Council. The deal is expected to close on Sept. 30, unless otherwise extended, and we should be in a position at that time to release more details to the public." -- Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

Here are the motions that unanimously approved by Council:

  • Proceed with the acquisition by the City of Burlington of the Robert Bateman High School site, 5151 New St., being approximately 12.79 acres of land and building (the "Bateman Campus") from the Halton District School Board ("HDSB"); and
  • Proceed with the disposition to the HDSB by way of land exchange of approximately 4.92 acres of City-owned land described as Part 2, Plan 20R-19654; and
  • Proceed with a long-term leaseback lease of a portion of the Bateman Campus to the HDSB; and
  • Proceed with the longer-term lease of a portion of the Bateman Campus to Brock University; and
  • Authorize the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel, working in consultation with the City Manager and the Chief Financial Officer to take all steps necessary to complete the acquisition of the Bateman Campus from the HDSB and the simultaneous transfer of Part 2, Plan 20R-19654 to the HDSB; and
  • Authorize staff to take all steps necessary to approve and enter into a long-term leaseback lease with HDSB for a portion of the Bateman Campus, with content satisfactory to the City Manager, and in a form satisfactory to the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel; and
  • Authorize the City Manager to execute and deliver a lease proposal to Brock University and authorize staff to take all steps necessary to negotiate, approve and enter into a long-term lease with Brock University for a portion of the Bateman Campus, with content satisfactory to the City Manager, and in a form satisfactory to the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel; and
  • Authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute any agreements, leases or other documents in connection with this matter, in a form satisfactory to the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel and with content satisfactory to the City Manager; and
  • Approve the total land acquisition cost for the Bateman Campus as outlined in the Financial Matters section of L-23-22; and
  • Authorize the City Clerk to prepare the debenture bylaw.

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CITY OF BURLINGTON NEWS RELEASE:Burlington, Ont. — Friday, June 24, 2022 — At the June 21 Burlington City Council meeting, Council authorized City staff to take steps to complete the purchase of the Robert Bateman High School site. In addition to the direction to purchase the site, City staff were also authorized to:

  • Transfer ownership of approximately five acres of City owned-land to the Halton District School Board (HDSB) as a component of the land exchange for the Robert Bateman site. The City owned-land in question is located near Burlington Central High School and includes the high school football field and running track;
  • Proceed with a long-term lease of a portion of the Bateman site to the HDSB; and
  • Proceed with the long-term lease of a portion of the Bateman site to Brock University.

All matters related to the land transactions and lease arrangements are expected to be closed and completed this fall. Once all components are finalized at that time, the purchase prices will be publicly registered and released.This acquisition would push forward key objectives laid out in the City of Burlington 25-year strategic plan. Key pillars of this Plan include making Burlington a City that grows through attracting talent, good jobs and economic opportunity to the community.In addition to the partnership with the HDSB and Brock University, the City also plans to partner with other institutions, ensuring that there is an adaptive reuse strategy for the site and to create a sustainable community hub. This includes the Burlington Library relocating its Appleby Line branch to this location to develop a place for learning and education and the relocation of TechPlace, a hub led by Burlington Economic Development, where the tech community can connect, develop and grow their business.Public engagement will take place in early 2023 to seek community feedback on possible uses for the remaining space.Quick Facts

  • In June 2021, HDSB announced that it has declared Robert Bateman High School surplus to its needs.
  • In December 2021, Council provided direction to staff to submit a formal offer to purchase the Robert Bateman High School site
  • On Feb. 3, 2022, Burlington City Council endorsed next steps to advance the potential acquisition of the Robert Bateman High School site from the HDSB.
  • Shortly after, also in June 2021, the City of Burlington announced that an expression of interest would be submitted to the HDSB to purchase the Robert Bateman site through a partnership with Brock University.

"In 2017, after learning that Robert Bateman High School was going to close, at the request of many community members, I committed to make sure the City of Burlington would purchase the property for the benefit of all community members for generations to come. I worked to ensure that the site would be acquired at a suitable price and under acceptable conditions. It is a pleasure to report that the City has accomplished those goals. Although there is still more work to be done, we can all look forward to a grand opening ceremony of a wonderful new Burlington community centre and learning hub." -- Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman, City of Burlington

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