The Halifax Regional Municipality may want to consider purchasing the World Trade and Convention Centre building if the proposed new facility gets the go ahead, Premier Darrell Dexter told reporters on Thursday.
Dexter said when he officially turned over Rank Inc.’s proposal to Peter Kelly on Wednesday, he told the mayor he had concerns about the future use of the trade centre building and suggested the municipality might be interested in buying it.
“The reality is that (Kelly) has expressed interest in that building, and … its proximity next to city hall means they could make use of it,” Dexter said.
Dexter said any decision on the new trade centre, as well as what to do with the old one, is some time away. But he suggested HRM may have some bargaining chips to bring to the table, including parcels of land the province is interested in acquiring.
Kelly said as owners of the Metro Centre, which is connected to the WTCC building, the municipality doesn’t want to miss any opportunities, but added a decision is far from imminent.
