Last month, a report from the Director of Finance acknowledged that the expected sale of the property located at One Union Street in downtown Millbrook to Canada Post would not proceed.
This property is adjacent to the Millbrook Post Office and became the property of the township in October 2015 as a result of unpaid taxes. The location had previously been the site of an automotive shop and gas station, equipped with underground gas storage tanks. After assuming possession, the township proceed to demolish all buildings and remove the gas tanks and hired WSP Canada to conduct an environmental assessment on the property. The subsequent soil sample testing and groundwater monitoring established results falling within an acceptable range for commercial activity on municipally serviced property.
Since the township acquired this property, it has received a number of unsolicited inquiries about its possible sale. It is very attractive due to its strategic location in the commercial centre of the village. One of the more credible parties expressing interest in acquiring the property was Canada Post, whose outlet is adjacent to the site.
In December 2021, they made a delegation to Council where they outlined a proposal for an expansion of their current outlet at this location, indicating that they needed a larger facility to meet the needs of the growing community.
At the time of the 2026 budget deliberations, a pending sale was anticipated and the proceeds of the sale of this property in the amount of$195,000 was allocated to the Asset Replacement Reserve. This amount along with a budget allocation from the levy of $2,866,652 and the funds resulting from the sale of municipal property located at 920 Larmer Line to Ontario Hydro resulted in a transfer of$3,209,652 to the ARR, establishing a transfer representing 98% of the depreciation value of assets reported in the 2024 audited financial statements.
Despite ongoing discussions, the municipality and Canada Post were unable to reach an agreement on the Union St. site. According to Canada Post staff, their employer was unwilling to assume responsibility for a potential environmental liability which might arise in the future, despite the clean report the property earned through the 2015 evaluation. The cancellation of this sale results in a $195,000 short fall in the ARR allocation outlined in the 2026 budget. Without this sale, the ARR allocation falls to $3,014,652 or 92% of the depreciation value for fiscal 2026, down from $3,209,652 or 98% of the depreciation value . The property remains available to interested buyers.