September 7, 2011
Board agrees to
extend Keys lease
The walls won't be coming down
quite so soon after all.
The Renfrew County District School Board announced last week that it
has reached an agreement with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) to
extend the lease for the former Keys Public School building in Deep
River for an additional 28 months.
The existing five-year lease for the former Keys building was signed by
AECL in January 2007.
The board had notified AECL that it would be terminating the lease when
it was finished on January 31, 2012 and was not interested in renewing
the lease for an additional term.
Instead, the board had agreed to demolish the Keys building in the
spring of 2012 to extend the playground at the new Mackenzie Community
School (MCS).
After extensive negotiations, the board has now agreed to extend the
lease until May 31, 2014.
Board chair Dave Shields said the extension will provide AECL with the
necessary time to address its office space needs.
“I am pleased to be able to co-operate with AECL to reach this
agreement,” said Shields.
“Business and community partnerships are vital today to be able to
provide the best opportunities for students.”
In a release from the board, Robert Walker, AECL’s senior vice
president for the nuclear laboratories, stated that “the board’s
further consideration and positive decision concerning AECL’s occupancy
of the Keys building is very much appreciated.”
“To echo Mr. Shields, I am pleased with the level of co-operation
experienced between the board and AECL throughout this process and the
positive outcome for all.”
Deep River Mayor David Thompson also welcomed the announcement.
"This is excellent news for the town of Deep River. It ensures that
over 100 jobs remain within our community and provides a window of
opportunity to find more permanent office space within our
municipality,” he said.
“I extend my personal thanks to the Renfrew County District School
Board for taking our concerns into account."
As part of the lease arrangement, AECL has agreed to fence the Keys
property, which will provide additional space for sports fields for MCS
students this fall.
In addition, as a result of the Playground Focus Group discussion, a
phased approach will be adopted for the playground areas, starting with
the primary playground this summer and fall.
The board plans to continue with its plans to demolish the building
when the lease is finished.
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