Joe Metlege sues city over St. Pat's Alexandra site

A Halifax developer is suing the city of Halifax over a deal that fell through to develop the St. Patrick's Alexandra School site.

Joe Metlege of Jono Developments said the experience has been an “emotional roller coaster,” and things have gone “so sideways” in his plans to redevelop the property.

In 2011 the Halifax Regional Municipality approved a deal to sell the school site for $3 million to Jono Developments.

But community groups fought the sale, and went to Nova Scotia Supreme Court to stop it. The court ruled in favour of the community groups and said the city hadn’t followed its own municipal surplus property sale procedures.

Jono Developments is appealing that ruling and is also suing the city. Metlege said he simply wants the purchase to go through so he can get to work on the site.

“It’s been very difficult. We’re a small family-owned business,” Metlege told CBC’s Information Morning.

“When you think you’re in a deal with the city, you allocate your resources to that deal. The situation sat in complete limbo for well over a year, of which time other opportunities I had to pass on.

“Not knowing whether the city was going to do good on the executed agreement that we had, it left me is a position where I lost those other opportunities in anticipation of being able to move forward on the St. Pat’s Alexandra site.”

Metlege said his proposal for the site has allocated space for affordable housing and community groups.

A spokesperson for the city says it is still reviewing the file.