Tax sales, law suits and foreclosure actions plague would-be developer
The former reform school in Shelburne, renamed Bowood by entrepreneuer Ralston MacDonnell, is now being offered for sale on auction site Kijiji.com and on a commercial real estate web site. The asking price is $1,550,000, three times the price MacDonnell paid five years ago in a controversial transaction with SWSDA CEO and close business associate Frank Anderson.
MacDonnell made lavish promises to local business and political leaders about making the development an "economic engine" for the area, but the results have been more than disappointing. The facility was marketed as an entertainment centre, hiring a booking agent to bring in music acts, but the few concerts promoted were a bust.
MacDonnell bid for and won contracts to have electronic relamation and bottle exhange depots at the site. The bottle depot became famous locally for not having the cash on hand to pay for bottle deposit returns and discarded electronics were often seen piled at the entrance to the deport building.
In the past year, MacDonnell and his several companies have seen hard times, facing multiple lawsuits from individuals and firms claiming not to have been paid by MacDonnell. The Bowood property was put up for tax sale earlier this year for non-payment of taxes, but saved just hours before the sheriff's sale. MacDonnell and his wife were also sued by the bank for non-payment of a large VISA bill and more recently they faced a foreclosure action on their luxury home near Halifax.
The real estate sales website describes the property as a former "correctionaql campus" with 200 acres of land and 11 primary buildings with 132,000 square feet of space for institutional, office, business, fitness, training, exhibition and residential use, valued at $1.3 million per year in lease revenues. During the many years of MacDonnell's ownership, no tenants for any of the 11 buildings had been found. The tax rate is described as "very favorable", despite the fact that MacDonnell failed to meet his tax burden year after year.
Since MacDonnell took possession of the Bowood complex, the buildings have been virtually abandoned and appear to have deteriorated. There are signs of leaking chemical barrels, rusty water leaking from some buildings, rotting door frames, chipped and flaking paint, broken windows and unmowed lawns.
Real estate broker Michael Brown told SCT that interviews in Shelburne lead him to conclude that the best use of the property would be a mixed-use seniors facility.
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Comments
The SWSDA drama is nearly as long running as Coronation
Street ! Possibly the former administration building could be adapted into a municipal headquarters. It even has a couple of holding cells to replace the jail.If amalgamation were to occur another problem is solved.
Sure use the dorms to house the old folks and when the hospital is gone perhaps a cemetery could made on the vacate 200 acres. A win,win situation!And if a government
buys it for threes times its former value then well that just the way the boys do business in this neck of the woods!
Amalgamation,,,now that is a word They should Amalgamate, there is too much government right now. After all what do you want from government anyway. Police, school for your kids, garbage collection, a jail for the criminals, health care, roads. We don't need so many councils Amalgate and here is a fine new office space for a pretty cheap price
Why did no-one ever take MacDonnell and Frank to task for the sale of this property? I will relate to you a story as I heard it from the horses mouth so to speak.
The sealed tenders were to be received at the Shelburne office of the SWSDA, no later than 4:00 p.m. on whatever day tendering closed. A Mr. Bernie Dockerell placed his tender in the hands of the secretary at the office prior to 4:00 p.m., and was told he was the only tender. He waited outside the office until after 4:00 p.m., and knew that no-one else had made an offer. He even took a picture of the clock on the wall.
He then claimed to the secretary that he must be the only bidder, to which she explained that she had a call from Frank, who was on his way back from Halifax, and had another tender with him. She was instructed to close the office and go home. Which she did.
Frank obviously arrived at the office quite sometime after 4:00 p.m., and alone, proceeded to open Dockerell's tender. And oh my goodness, surprise surprise, but the tender he had with him, which was theoretically not legitimate as it arrived at the office well past 4:00 pm, was about 50k more than Dockerell's.
It would only lead one to conclude, that the tender he had may not have even been filled in yet. No-one will ever know that for sure, but my gut instinct tells me he filled it out there on the spot after seeing Dockerells. Regardless, it should never have been accepted. The tendering process did not say it had to be in Franks hands by 4:00 pm, it said it had to be at the office by 4:00 pm, and there is no way Frank should have been privy to open sealed tenders without anyone present. It is my understanding that the secretary was so enraged by the affair she resigned. Mr Dockerell, at this time is currently completing a multi-million dollar condominium project in Bridgewater, is not short of funds, and had immediate plans to put the Boys School into operation.
This should have resulted in a criminal investigation, but again, Frank was free to do his will in all offices which he was required to answer, including the Province.
Yes, there are cells there, and think they should be currently occupied by Frank and MacDonnell, heat or no heat.
They are doing a real forensic audit. Perhaps the truth will be there. Unless they keep it a secret. They had to start this forensic audit too much money was missing and they had to do something.
Frank Anderson was answerable to a board. The people that Frank "ought" to have been snswering to are ultimately responsible for this mess.Several had to be asleep at the wheel!Two cells will not hold all the culprits!
I agree!
Frank Anderson is a Hypnotist. I have talked to him, or more so .... he has talked to me. I hear he is working at the call centre in Yarmouth now. Good for him. Outta my hair.
For heaven sake.Please go ASAP to the SWSDA building on Water Street in Yarmouth and present this information to the auditors.It is crucial!!!! Have it published in the Chronicle Herald and phone CBC. Not enough people know about this page. Really your information is vital.
That last comment refers to Rick Davis November 26,2011 comments.