What’s next for Bloomfield?

the situation at the Bloomfield site was like before the fire broke out. The appeal was dismissed, and HRFE’s concerns about the building’s safety remained. Fast forward to the early hours of Feb 16, 2025, when those concerns became a reality. Fire crews faced a “tough battle” as they fought to contain the blaze at the former Bloomfield School. The fire tore through the northeastern annex, leaving the building in ruins. The flames were so intense that smoke could be seen billowing across Agricola Street and beyond.

Now, just a few days later, the cleanup efforts are in full swing. A hydraulic excavator sits parked inside temporary fencing, its engine running as work crews bustle about, clearing away the rubble left in the fire’s wake. The easternmost wing of the former Bloomfield School has been dismantled, with the rest of the building set to follow. The site, which has been in limbo for years, is finally seeing some action.

But what comes next for the Bloomfield Centre site? That remains to be seen. The neighbourhood awaits the answer, as the fate of the property hangs in the balance. The long and contested history of the Bloomfield Centre adds another layer of complexity to the situation. Once a community hub and a beacon in Halifax’s north end, the Bloomfield School closed its doors in 1988. Since then, the site has been the subject of various redevelopment plans and proposals, only to be met with setbacks and delays.

From community groups advocating for a sustainable arts centre to government agencies proposing affordable housing developments, the Bloomfield Centre has seen it all. Private developers have come and gone, with promises of revitalization that have yet to materialize. The property changed hands in 2021, with Halifax developer Alex Halef purchasing the site for $22 million. But even he has admitted to facing challenges in redeveloping the property, citing the high cost of demolition and the lack of concrete plans for the site.

The fire at the former Bloomfield School has brought these issues to the forefront once again. The safety concerns raised by HRFE in 2023 have now become a reality, as the building lies in ruins. As the cleanup continues and the investigation into the cause of the fire gets underway, the future of the Bloomfield Centre remains uncertain.

For now, all that remains are mountains of rubble piled high at the site where the former Bloomfield School once stood. The neighbourhood watches and waits, hoping for a resolution to the long-standing saga of the Bloomfield Centre. Only time will tell what comes next for this once-beloved community landmark.