Idea of locating new Saskatoon school in Optimist Park concerns local resident

Saskatoon Public Schools is looking at a new location for a huge school in the core neighbourhoods, but the proposed site isn't being met with community-wide support.

School officials are asking the City of Saskatoon about the viability of Optimist Park, located between 18th and 19th St. W. and Avenue J and Avenue L S.

"We have a shortage of park space already in the core, and [Optimist Park] is an oasis for us," King George resident Karen Farmer told Saskatoon Morning's Leisha Grebinski.

The school division plans to consolidate three neighborhood schools — Princess Alexandra, King George and Pleasant Hill — into a new building called City Centre School that could accommodate 500 to 600 students. 

The new school was originally planned to be built on the Princess Alexandra School site, but the division now wants to look at Optimist Park as well.

Farmer said while it is great to see reinvestment in the core neighbourhoods of Riversdale, King George and Pleasant Hill, it shouldn't be at the expense of coveted green space.

"Optimist Park is very important. And it's well loved," she said.

"There's a playground, there's a basketball court, there's an outdoor rink where people play floor hockey and bike polo. People go to Optimist Park to dance and to walk the dogs and to toboggan in the winter. And on a hot summer day to sit in the shade of the beautiful trees.

"You put a mega-big school there with a teacher parking lot and you have 500 kids delivered by stinky, noisy diesel buses, and that oasis has disappeared."

Nicole Dyck, who has a daughter at King George School, said while she wants more consultation to address everyone's concerns, she supports the idea of a school at Optimist Park.

"As a parent I do feel that is a little bit of a safer option, and it does definitely calm some of the concerns I had about the previous location," said Dyck, but added, "We really want to see consultation with all three communities still. And I think that's something we're still looking for."

Dyck said her concern with the original plan of the Princess Alexandra location in Riversdale was the safety of kids getting to and from school.

The Princess Alexandra location would mean travelling larger distances for many students.

Pleasant Hill Community School is located 1.5 kilometres away, while King George School is located 1.2 kilometres away.

"Children in the Pleasant Hill and King George communities are really disadvantaged having to travel so far … just to reach the school," Dyck said.

Farmer still holds out hope that a couple of the castle schools can be renovated.

"There's a beautiful school [King George] three blocks south that has been the centre of our community for 109 years. It just got a new roof," Farmer said.

"And yes, it would cost more to invest in that school and Pleasant Hill school. But we have very skilled craftspeople and tradespeople, people that can do elevators and do solar panel installation and the latest technology in an old building. And we could make our old school new schools."

The new school could cost anywhere from $22.5 million to $25 million to build. The public school board estimates renovating the three existing schools would cost $68 million. 

The current project includes a partnership with the Saskatoon Tribal Council that would revitalize the White Buffalo Youth Lodge.

Saskatoon Public Schools said it would not be commenting on the situation until it had presented at a city committee as well as presented to the Riversdale, King George and Pleasant Hill community associations.

Farmer said there are other options when it comes to revitalizing White Buffalo Lodge.

"The City Centre Church is right beside White Buffalo Youth Lodge [on 20th Street]," she said. There's an empty parking lot and the church is underutilized six days a week. Why don't we expand White Buffalo into there?"

Farmer said there are vacant lots nearby that could be developed instead of taking away park space.

"I'm concerned to hear that the city council is talking about this today, because the community hasn't been consulted and people have ideas."

Dyck hopes all three communities are able to discuss their concerns with the school decision and the city.

"And hopefully we can move forward with this project with something that will serve all communities really well."

A delegation from the school division will make a presentation to the standing policy committee on planning, development and community services on Tuesday.

If Optimist Park is feasible, Saskatoon Public Schools will do a study on the two sites and present it to council in the next few months.