Armoury in land bank

The Brigadier Murphy Armoury has been added to the Canada Public Land Bank – and it's one of just three public properties in all of British Columbia with housing potential, at least according to the feds.

In the spring, the federal government announced it was looking to build homes on public lands. As such, the Department of National Defense has been working with Canada Lands Company – a Crown corporation – to look at offloading extra properties not needed for defense operations.

One of the surplus properties being reviewed is the Brigadier Murphy Armoury in Vernon.

When Vernon city council heard of the project, it asked federal housing minister Sean Fraser to consider entering into a lease agreement with the province or the city instead.

“If your ministry truly wants to see public housing on that site in the near future, I strongly recommend once the building condition and environmental assessments are complete that you remove the site from the disposition process and promptly enter into a long-term nominal lease with either the Province of B.C. or the City of Vernon for public housing,” reads a letter from Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming.

Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Jean-Yves Duclos, responded, saying nominal leases are being considered. He advised the city that housing providers can engage directly with the newly created Canada Public Land Bank – a tool created to display public properties with housing potential.

There’s four steps to the bank, open for feedback, open for offers, expressions of interest, and evaluations underway. Currently, the Vernon Armoury is open for feedback.

Not only does the bank show that the Armoury is the only public land currently considered by the feds, it also gives outsiders a glimpse into the community.

Notably, the site lists Vernon’s median average income after tax as $36,000. It also lists the location as below average walkability to health care despite its close proximity to Vernon Jubilee Hospital.

“This site, surrounded by city parks on three sides, is located adjacent to our regional hospital adding the interest of Interior Health Authority to join in the development of housing to include meeting needs of new incoming medical personnel,” reads Cumming’s letter.

While the bank has no mention of the city’s vacancy rate, the Cumming says the vacancy rate is stalled at less than one per cent.

Vernon’s elected officials will have the opportunity to discuss Duclo's letter in open council, Monday.

It's not clear what would happen to the Armoury itself which is a federally protected heritage building. The feds have said heritage is "obviously" an important factor in the property divestment.