Background and History

The information on this page outlines

• community efforts to develop vision and ensure sustainability of Centre;
• meetings with HRM, and
• tenancy reductions

Concerned citizens and Bloomfield Centre tenants have been working for the past three years to propose an alternative to closing the centre, through renovation and revenue generation following a community based vision. It was original intent of the Commons Building Coalition to reduce and eliminate the budget overrun for the city, so that the centre as a whole could continue to serve the community. Following the recommendation by HRM staff in November 2004, to fully dispose of the entire centre (all three buildings), the Friends of the Bloomfield Centre was formed to propose a community development initiative, pooling resources, creativity and innovation to maintain the existing services of the centre that would not be relocated to other HRM owned facilities. The goal of this group is not to save Bloomfield Centre as it is, but to create a centre that includes space for non-profits, especially existing tenants and works co-operatively with developers interested in building energy efficient, affordable housing on the unused land of the site. In August 2005, Imagine Bloomfield was formed as a Society under the NS Societies Act.

Bloomfield Centre Chronology of Events: 2004-2007

March 2004: Bloomfield Review Committee Presents to Tenants (minutes requested but never provided)

March 2004: Formation of Bloomfield Artists Collective (no formal designation)

March 15, 2004: First Proposal for Green Building Retrofit Submitted to Bloomfield Review Committee, cc’d to Maureen MacDonald, MLA, Jerry Blumenthal, Councilor District 11, Mayor Peter Kelly

Summer 2004: Formation of Bloomfield Commons Building Coalition (informal group) Bloomfield Artists Collective, Ecology Action Centre, Citadel Boxing Club.

September 2004: Archival research into heritage potential, school history, architectural integrity of the Commons Building. Drafting of the Bloomfield Commons Building Coalition Vision Statement.

September 29, 2004: Bloomfield Commons Building Coalition meeting with HRM Staff Peta Jane Temple (HRM Grants Program) and Maggie Holm (Heritage). September 2004 Submission of proposal by the Bloomfield Commons Building Coalition to HRM staff (council and mayor) ; presentation . Partial business plan included for retrofitting and renovation based on full tenancy of Commons Building.

November 2004: Report from Bloomfield Review Committee; recommendation is full disposal (sale) of the Bloomfield School Site.

December 2004: Communication with Councillor Dawn Sloane with regards to heritage designation potential for the Commons Building.

January 11, 2005: Dissolution of the Bloomfield Centre Board.

January 13, 2005: Formation of the Friends of Bloomfield Centre (tenants, community groups and interested members of the public).

January 15, 2005: Meeting with Green Power Labs to discuss site assessment foralternative energy production.

February 2, 2005: Presentation to the Bloomfield Neighborhood Association andCouncilor Patrick Murphy with regards to supporting a community led initiative for the development of the Bloomfield Centre.

February 11, 2005: Informal meeting of the Friends of the Bloomfield Centre.

February 20, 2005: Meeting with Patrick Murphy, Councilor for District 11.

March 9, 2005: Presentation to HRM Planning Committee.

March 14 th, 2005: Presentation to Community Council (cancelled)

May 13 th 2005: Bloomfield Centre open house organized by Commons Building Coalition

August 2005: Imagine Bloomfield Society created under NS Societies Act.

Regular updates to Bloomfield Neighbourhood Residents Association

Presentation to HRM Cultural Advisory Committee requested but denied.

Presentation to HRM Advisory Committee on Race Relations

June 2005 Options program relocated to HHMarshall building with H RDA. Recycling program at centre discontinued.

July 2005 Commons Building Shut by HRM due to mould, which was a result of poor building maintenance and above average wet weather in May 2005, as well as the lack of ventilation system in an active gym. Artists and Boxing club forced to relocate.

September 2005 Nova Scotia Safety Council relocated.

Meeting with Mayor Peter Kelly (Rosemary Godin, Ariel Harper, Susanna Fuller)