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

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
• 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.