Lambton county gets flexibility with purchase of downtown Sarnia property

Lambton's warden says the county's recent purchase of the Lambton Shared Services Centre will provide them with flexibility moving forward.

They recently bought the facility, in Sarnia's downtown, from Seasons Retirement Communities for $17.6 million.

The money comes out of reserve funds earmarked for the acquisition with the remainder being financed through secured debt.

The county had been leasing the property from Seasons since 2020 when they signed a 20-year lease as part of a major redevelopment of Sarnia's Bayside Centre.

At the time, one of the stipulations was for Seasons to renovate the centre, and work was completed in 2022.

Warden Kevin Marriott said the purchase reduces the county's expenditures and allows them to further meet the needs of the community.

"Financially, it's just better for the county than leasing," said Marriott. "We're also able to rent out the basement now to a third party. The basement is 25,000 square feet. The money collected from that rent will be money that we wouldn't have had, paying the lease for the next 20 years. We hope to keep it in the government-type setting somehow. We have someone quite interested but I can't say who it is. But, it'll be along the lines of government-type services or personnel."

The Lambton Shared Services Centre currently houses several departments from the County of Lambton.

They include homelessness prevention, child services, court, housing, Ontario Works, and some programs under Lambton Public Health and procurement and project management.

It's also home to the local branch of the Ontario Disability Support Program.

For more information about the county's services and facilities visit www.lambtononline.ca.