New transformation possibly coming for old Saskatoon bus barn

After searching for six years for a buyer for the former “bus barn,” the City of Saskatoon seems to have finally found one.

At its finance committee meeting Wednesday, the city is expected to approve the sale of the Caswell Hill building for a price tag of $2 million. The agenda for the meeting doesn’t include the identity of the buyer.

The building used to be home to Saskatoon Transit operations, but was put up for sale in 2017 after Transit left the site and relocated its operations to the Saskatoon Civic Operations Centre. Since then, city council has been looking at redeveloping the lands.

The project that could soon take over the site has been titled the “Caswell Bus Barns” project.

Its plan is to provide the South Caswell Hill community with a unique, mixed-use building that would support local arts and culture, provide green space, and offer affordable housing for students, seniors and artists.

That means there could also be opportunities to create a vibrant hub in the area which includes shopping, eating and community amenities.

The initial intent of developers is to subdivide the site into two separate parcels and eventually build the site out using a phased approach.

A second phase of construction will include development and commercial buildings on the north portion of the site.

An initial payment of $1.1 million has to be paid by March 29, 2024 and a payment of $900,000 will have to be secured by May 31, 2026.

While upgrades to the building and the sale will still take some time, the building is already being used to benefit the community.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is leasing the space for the distribution of furniture and household items to those who’ve been displaced from Ukraine because of the war. Another portion of the building is currently being used as a storage closet for Saskatoon Light and Power.