A staff recommended heritage designation for King George School is headed for approval at the Hamilton Municipal Heritage Committee (MHMC) meeting Thursday.

And while the preservation effort may have thrown a wrench in the school board's plans to build a downtown high school when it emerged two years ago, the board is now firmly focused on the plans it has worked out with the city for a new, alternate site.

Board chair Todd White says the new plan was "worth the wait" and that the board will be unveiling new architectural drawings of the proposed site next week.

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) originally wanted to demolish the school which has stood at 77 Gage Ave. N since 1912, to make way for a new, 1,250-student high school. The school is an example of Edwardian classicism architecture. Prominent local architects Stewart and Witton designed it.

When the heritage designation process was set in motion, former mayor Bob Bratina called it "one of the marvels of old school construction."

The rush to preserve King George stalled the plans and left the board with a site that couldn't accommodate a school, parking lot and football field.

Eventually, the city and school board got to the table to figure out a solution, one White says they've achieved.

"It was rocky, but I think when everyone sees the plans they'll believe it's well worth it." White said.

The new school, originally estimated to cost $32-million, will be combined with the proposed Bernie Morelli recreation centre, and spread across several sites, including Scott Park, the former Parkview Secondary School site and the former Consumer Glass property.

White said the school board is using the same architect as the city.

"Because we used one architect we really used all of the space," White said. "It really does work as one site."

The school is set to open in September of 2017, with construction slated to start at the end of the Parapan Am Games.

The timing allows for the demolition at Scott Park and Parkview to be complete and the sites to be used as parking for the Pan Am Games.

The process still leaves King George without a use or tenant. White says the board is "open" to any opportunities, but must follow a process that includes declaring it a surplus property and offering it to preferred list of buyers (which includes the city) before it hits the open market.