Regional council will hire a consultant to design a plan for the long-vacant Halifax Memorial Library.

A budget of $300,000 will be recommended in the next fiscal year’s capital budget.

Options would include making changes to the building, tearing it down or turning the entire site into a public park.

Despite several proposals for the old library on Spring Garden Road, it’s remained empty since the Halifax Central Library opened in 2014.

Built in 1951, it received municipal heritage status in 2020.

The land once served as a burial ground for as many as 4,500 people and it’s believed Mi’kmaq ancestral remains are buried there too.

According to a council report on July 9th, the public will be engaged on the future of the property. The details of this engagement will be determined when staff return to Regional Council with options and recommendations from the consultant.