The group working to revitalize Loch Sloy, or Camp Picton, says they are still in the discovery phase of working towards building something they believe will be truly extraordinary.
Tim Jones of PEC Community Partners spoke to councillors in Prince Edward County on Tuesday night to provide an update as to what he and his organization hope to accomplish and achieve with the historic property in the county.
The former World War II airbase at 343 County Road 22 was decommissioned in 1969 and is now home to the Loch Sloy Business Park.
It was sold at the end of last year and the group who purchased it are hoping to build on the site’s remarkable legacy.
“We have no preconceived idea,” Jones told council and staff during the regular council meeting. “We are in the discovery phase of this and what we create we want to build from the ground up.”
He said so far there is no vision for the property, but there are plenty of ideas, such as affordable housing, making outdoor stages or even sparking some interest in the site with film and television production companies.
Their first priority is working on 70 of the 700 acres where the heritage buildings are.
Two zones of priority noted in the Loch Sloy revitalization project as presented to Prince Edward County council on February 22, 2022.
“Our first focus is on some of the vacant buildings,” Jones said. “We have a strong commitment to heritage and we are investigating what can be saved.”
They are specifically looking at the Lecture Hall, the Sergeants Mess Hall and the Drill Hall.
Councillor Stewart Bailey noted he had been to an event at the Sergeants Mess and said there is no water there and there are upgrades needed. He was curious as to what timelines the partners have in place to upgrade the services.
Jones said those things are being explored right now and they are working with county staff to see how soon they can get services back to the site and they are doing everything they can to expedite the process.
Councillor Bill Roberts wondered if the partners would be looking at using the history and heritage of the site as an economic driver.
“Heritage economy really appeals to us, we’re clearly going to explore that,” Jones told council. “This is an adaptive reuse project to put these wonderful old buildings to new uses. We will work with council and staff to figure out how to do that in consultation with the heritage committee.”
Councillor Phil St-Jean questioned if the current tenants at the Loch Sloy business park were going to remain there.
Jones says they will continue to communicate with the current tenants and work with them and engage them in the process.
“We are exploring what their needs are,” said Jones. “But we also want to bring the vacant and derelict buildings into use so we will continue to engage and work with those there to build the site. The need of affordable sites is not lost on us.”
He said they are also in talks with those who use the airport there.
“We are talking to those who are using the airport and their needs,” Jones explained. “We will listen to everyone and see what can be done.”
The partners who purchased the property are looking to revitalize the greenscape and build site activation through investing in a multi-year procurement program from local art, musicians, performers and cultural producers.
The full presentation can be found here.
