The Future Use Committee for the Souris Valley Extended Care Centre is looking at marketing the facility for multi-residential use, and as a multi-purpose facility, following a report by NAI Commercial Real Estate to the property owners, Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation (SPMC).

The committee met on March 15 to go over NAI's report, and to make recommendations for the future marketing of the sprawling historic facility in Weyburn's northwest corner.

The consultants' report said most of the suggestions and options for Souris Valley submitted by the public in writing and at the public meeting were considered as not economically feasible, based on the cost to renovate and to operate Souris Valley.

"The only option they could see as viable that had been brought forward in discussions was for multi-residential housing," said Mayor Don Schlosser.

In NAI's study, they estimated the cost of repairs and renovation to bring the building up to current building and safety codes at $30-40 million, with annual operating costs around $2 million. Also factored in was the size of the facility, with 350,000 square feet, as well as the demographics of the city and area. Some of the discarded ideas included use as a casino, spa, hotel and so on.

Consultants with NAI discussed with their offices and partners throughout North America and Europe, where other similar older buildings have been marketed, and it was felt multi-residential redevelopment would be the best use of Souris Valley, including as condominiums, senior housing and residential development.

Committee member and director of the Southeast REDA (Regional Economic Development Authority), Dylan Clarke, said a common theme NAI found is that large buildings like this are hard to find alternate uses for, even in large metropolitan population areas like New York City, while Weyburn doesn't have that large of a population base to help solve the issue.

SPMC is also continuing with their mandatory disposal process, which saw Souris Valley first offered to, and refused by, provincial government departments and the City of Weyburn.

"The big thing right now is they're going to go back and go through the process of offering it to the federal government and to the aboriginal community," said the mayor, noting this will take from six weeks to two months to complete.

In the meantime, added Schlosser, "Marketing will get started fairly quickly alongside with offering it to the government and to the aboriginal community. It'll all work hand-in-hand."

Committee member Dave Kerr also agreed with NAI's conclusions about its possible uses, noting it would have to be multi-purpose as the building is too large for any single user to take it over, not to mention the high cost to operate it.

"To use it as it's currently set up would be so expensive, and to pay for the utilities, it's almost not worth the effort. You could shut down the old power plant and put in multiple gas furnaces. There's no way you could pay the $1.3 million in utilities, even if there were lots of people in there," said Kerr.

Kerr said he likes the idea of condos, but wonders about the cost for renovations to make the old hospital rooms suitable for use as apartments.

Clarke said SEREDA is in contact with two development groups about using Souris Valley as a multi-purpose facility, including for alternative health treatment, an educational or training facility, or as a distribution warehouse, with other possible uses.

Meanwhile, the current tenants of Souris Valley have a deadline to vacate the premises by Dec. 31, 2004, and the marketing of the facility will take place until that time. In addition, SEREDA and its partners will continue to work with any interested groups or developers who express an interest in Souris Valley.