Covenant Health’s plans for Riverside School property still undecided
By Medicine Hat News on March 4, 2021.
Progress on plans for the future of the Riverside School building remains in abeyance, according to its owner. Riverside School welcomed students for the last time in 2017. The property was sold the following year to Covenant Health for $850,000. At that stage a spokesperson for Covenant Health said the property would likely be demolished with certain historical aspects preserved. A new building was in the cards for a seniors’ living facility. In March 2019 a public hearing took place for rezoning the lot, and by the end of summer that year Covenant Health was talking to the city about purchasing a lane-way that ran through the property. The lane-way had a purchase price of $71,875. Covenant Health told the News in August 2019 it was in “the process of creating a vision” for the property and was conducting a feasibility study to explore all options for seniors housing and care. In February 2020, a city council document revealed there was a chance the Riverside School building could be spared demolition. Covenant Health had been in talks with the Heritage Resources Committee in January 2020. A Covenant Health spokesperson told the News recently there was noting new to report on the project. “We don’t have an update at this time,” an email states. 9-8
