Fredericton science centre puts former county jail up for sale, looks for new home
Science East has been closed to public since February
The Science East building — the historic former York County jail in downtown Fredericton — is up for sale, the Science East Association announced Tuesday.
"We've had some challenges over the past year," said Jennifer MacDonnell, executive director of Science East.
"We feel that selling this property will provide us with some resources that will allow us to continue to deliver on our mission, which is sharing science education across New Brunswick."
The news comes after the centre closed to the public in January, however community outreach has continued since then.
Jennifer MacDonnell, executive director of Science East, says the non-profit organization is on the hunt for a temporary space. (Shane Fowler/CBC)
MacDonnell said "complex circumstances," including financial challenges, led to the decision, and Science East doesn't have the resources to plan for five or 10 years into the future.
But she is optimistic the difficult decision to sell will set the organization up for a "brighter future."
The building, on Brunswick Street next to the weekly Boyce Farmers Market, is listed by Partners Global Corporate Real Estate for nearly $1.2 million.
According to Canada's Historic Places, the York County Gaol is protected under the Historic Sites Protection Act.
MacDonnell said the plan is to move into a temporary space, which has yet to be obtained, before searching for a long-term home suitable for a science centre that can once again be open to the public.
She said the goal is to achieve that by 2028.
"We have a vision for a more accessible centre, one with new exhibits, with large gathering spaces and we decided we did not want to invest in renovating our current facility to suit those needs," MacDonnell told Shift.
While the Brunswick Street location has been great for hands-on science education, she said that at least half of what the organization has done over the last few years has been outside the centre — including classroom visits and community events.
A
mural on the wall in a large room at the Science East centre in
Fredericton that was used for things like science camps and
demonstrations to tour groups. (Jennifer Sweet/CBC)
Whatever is next, Science East will be able to continue with outreach and in-school events, MacDonnell said.
Still, she'll miss the building that Science East has called home since 1999.
"I am a sentimental person, and there is so much history in this building," she said. "We've definitely cherished our time here."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Shift