City seeks to enable two surplus school sites to maintain their institutional use through acquisition

Two former school properties in Kingston have been declared surplus by the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, and City of Kingston staff have been directed by Council to pursue these properties with the intent for them to remain in institutional use.  

At the City of Kingston Council meeting on Tuesday, June 16, Council report 26-138 outlined that staff are proceeding with the purchase of these two properties, using different approaches for each property due to their individual circumstances, as described further below.  

The City has now entered into conditional Agreements of Purchase and Sale for these properties with the School Board. 

Please note: An “institutional user” refers to a group or entity such as a daycare, elementary/secondary school, community centre, place of worship, library, etc. Institutional Use does not include social services (such as housing or homelessness services) and the buildings on these properties are not intended to be used for that purpose.  

St. Peter Catholic School, 48 Seventh Ave. 

As approved by Council, the City will complete due diligence required to determine a recommendation regarding acquisition of the property, and then would seek an institutional user to enter into a lease or lease-to-own agreement. Details about this proposed process will be brought back to Council later in the fall. As this property is located adjacent to Ron LaVallee Park, being in City ownership would also maintain future options for park expansion, though no expansion projects have been proposed at this time.  

St. Patrick Catholic School, 158 Patrick St. 

City staff have been directed to proceed with entering into a conditional agreement with the School Board for this property, providing the City the opportunity to find an interested institutional user who will enter into a binding agreement to purchase the property from the City at fair market value. Interested institutional users are to be identified through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process. The EOI aims to ensure that the process of identifying an Institutional user who will keep the property in community use is open, fair, and transparent. This process is intended to give all interested parties an equal opportunity to take part and provide prospective institutional users a chance to complete their own analysis of the acquisition, and the current condition of the property.  

The EOI was released by the City on Thursday, July 9 and will close on Wednesday August 19, 2026. Staff will bring a report back to Council on the results of the EOI process after it has been concluded.  

Expression of Interest key dates:  

• Issue Date of EOI - July 9, 2026
• Deadline to Request Site Visit - July 17 2026
• Site Visit Opportunity- Week of July 20, 2026
• Deadline for Questions - July 28, 2026
• Deadline for Issuing Addenda - Aug 5, 2026
• Submission Deadline - August 19, 2026
• Anticipated Results Notice - Post Council decision, target of Sept. 15 meeting  

Interested institutional users are to email RealEstateInquiries@cityofkingston.ca for more information and/or to request a copy of the EOI document.