Kingsville Council is going to debate whether to bid for a vacant school property up for sale in the town.
The Greater Essex County District School Board has listed the former Kingsville District High School and the former Kingsville Public School for sale, with offers for the property being accepted at the board office until 2 p.m. on February 6.
The town did submit an expression of interest to the province for the properties but learned in November 2025 that the bids, which included a proposal to build attainable housing and create public use spaces, had not been accepted, which means the property is now on the 'open market.'
An administration report going to council for approval at Monday's meeting recommends that the town only submit a bid to purchase Kingsville District High School (KDHS), located at 170 Main Street, which includes Migration Hall.
Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers says the high school is a higher priority property.
"It had been identified as a spot not only to build homes, but also, it's no secret that we're looking for a spot for a new town hall," he says. "Decisions and conversations that we've had indicate that would be the better spot of the two, being more central, being closer to amenities, you name it."
The report notes that the property is in a prime location in the town's core, it's near 15 acres in size, which would provide more opportunity for mixed-use development, and it has the potential to sever portions of the land for mixed uses and to offset purchase costs.
Rogers says they're looking to control the element of how our town looks.
"These properties being in the location of where they are, what goes there is going to be so important, not only to the look but also to the future of this town," he says.
Kingsville Council meets Monday, January 19, at 6 p.m. in the Unico Community Centre, at 37 Beech Street in Kingsville.