A local development company is proposing to redevelop Edmonton’s oldest Catholic school as part of a mixed-use project.

Beljan Development is seeking to install retail in the 118-year-old St. Anthony School building in the city’s Old Strathcona district. The company also plans to develop a new multi-family mid-rise building on the site located at 104th Street and 84th Avenue.

“Just to the west and south of the [St. Anthony] building, we are planning to do a residential development that will be upwards of eight storeys,” said Leah Kinsella, development manager for Beljan, told CBC.

Local planning firm Situate has filed a development application with the city on behalf of Beljan, said the city in an project description published online. Kinsella told CBC that the company will try to maintain the historic school’s footprint, building envelope and general integrity.

“We’re preserving the building, but we’re working through the tenant mix right now, just in terms of how many tenants we can fit into that building and what type of tenants we are interested in putting there,” she told CBC.

Beljan might independently initiate the process to designate the original school as a historic building.

“Our bread and butter has historically been acquiring buildings that are either on the historic inventory or are already designated as historic buildings,” she told CBC.

The city has concluded online engagement on the project.

Since the proposed zone is considered a standard one, Situate is not yet required to submit detailed building drawings, said the city in the project description.

Photo: St. Anthony School