N.L. government paying $2.3M to acquire unsightly but prized land adjacent to war memorial

The Newfoundland and Labrador government has acquired an unsightly but valuable plot of downtown St. John's land in order to expand the footprint of the National War Memorial ahead of the site's 100th anniversary this summer.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister John Abbott confirmed Monday that the government is paying $2.3 million to expropriate the 1,110-square-metre block of land from Lex Holdings Limited, whose directors include former premier Danny Williams and three of his former law partners, Glen Roebothan, Steve Marshall and Dave McKay.

The land is the former home of the Roebothan McKay Marshall law firm, which fronted onto Duckworth Street and was destroyed by fire in 2010. The site also includes the 130-year-old Breakwater Books building, which fronts onto Water Street and has been vacant and neglected for more than a decade. The Breakwater building, constructed in 1984, was originally known as the S.O. Steele Building and has been designated a City of St. John's heritage building.

Much of the site is surrounded by a green, graffiti-filled wall, while all that's left of the former law firm is the broken and rickety concrete foundation.

A 'friendly expropriation'

Abbott described the deal as a "friendly expropriation" done to expedite the land acquisition so a cleanup of the site can be completed before Memorial Day/Canada Day on July 1, when a ceremony will take place to rededicate the war memorial. The centrepiece of the refurbishment project is the establishment of a tomb of the unknown soldier containing the repatriated remains of a Royal Newfoundland Regiment soldier who died in Northern France during the First World War.

Abbott says he believes the amount paid for the land is a reasonable use of taxpayers' money.

"Based on the work that was done in estimating what the value of that property would be, potential use for that property and its adjacency to the war memorial, I'm more than satisfied with the price and the arrangements that we've entered into," said Abbott.

The old Breakwater Books building on Water Street in St. John's located on the right of this aerial photo, has been vacant and neglected for more than a decade. The fenced-off section on the left, which fronts onto Duckworth Street, is the former site of the Roebothan McKay Marshall law firm. The property has now been purchased by the provincial government. (Danny Arsenault/CBC)

When asked about how the former premier's links to the property may have affected price negotiations, Abbott said officials in his department directed the process.

"I had no interaction with any of the principals that may be involved there."

Glen Roebothan, meanwhile, said the owners hoped to get a higher price for the land but are happy with its intended use.

"We were hoping for more, but that was within a range that we were prepared to accept and we decided to accept it," he said.

Roebothan said Lex Holdings purchased the Breakwater building about a decade ago for $1.25 million, and their plan was to erect a new building on the expanded site that incorporated the historic structure into a modern six-storey building with a glass and brick exterior, and a mix of office, retail and condominium space. The proposal also included the addition of a museum dedicated to the war memorial.

But St. John's city council rejected the proposal. Roebothan admitted the owners had been in a holding pattern for the past few years but said he believes the current outcome is a best-case scenario.

"In retrospect it's probably good that our application was denied because I think that the city will certainly benefit from that site being incorporated into the war memorial," said Roebothan.

Monument remains unchanged

For months, construction crews have been working on a $6.5-million makeover of the war memorial grounds, which are sandwiched between Water and Duckworth streets and offer an unimpeded view of St. John's harbour and the narrows.

The monument, however, which features five bronze sculptures that represent Newfoundland's involvement in the war, will remain unchanged.

Abbott is the MHA for St. John's East-Quidi Vidi, which includes the war memorial and what he described as the "derelict" property to the southwest of it.

The province officially took ownership of the property Monday, he said, and a cleanup will begin as soon as possible so the site isn't an eyesore during the July 1 ceremony.

If the province had pursued a standard business transaction, Abbott explained, the process could have dragged on for weeks.

"That was the driving force for that, and it was done with the understanding of the property owner," he said.

Community input will be sought

Beyond a basic cleanup and the installation of some fencing, Abbott said the long-term plan is to engage with the community about a future use for the newly acquired property.

The Breakwater Books building will be protected because of its heritage status, he said, and he's keen on converting it into an interpretation centre linked to the war memorial.

'We're going to put all of that on the table, and see what makes sense," he said.

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