60 feet of riverfront property for just $1.00

It’s considered prime waterfront property in Rockport, Ont.: the Customs House, and dock which boasts 60 feet of riverfront property in the bustling waterfront community just east of Kingston. And the Township of Leeds and Thousand Islands got a deal of a lifetime when council recently voted to purchase it.

“The asking price was in excess of a quarter-million dollars. So when you look at how we were able to negotiate, and it took time, we were able to negotiate to get this for a nominal fee,” explained Mayor Joe Baptista.

That nominal fee was $1.00.

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Now a not-for-profit group chaired by a former township councilor Wendy Merkley, will take the reins and begin fundraising for much-needed dock repairs.

The Friends of Rockport Customs Community group will design and plan the renovations with council having the final say on designs which will include benches, tables an area for swimming and fishing.

“There are a lot of people that can’t afford boats, that can’t afford to enjoy the river and this will give them an opportunity, everybody to be able to come and spend an hour or two, whatever they want,” Merkley said.

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1:51 60-feet of riverfront property for just $1.00

The property needs thousands of dollars worth of renovations according to the township. The dock is eroded and unsafe in its current condition, one of the main reasons why the federal government abandoned the property in 2009. Preliminary figures suggest the facelift could cost between $500,000 and $1 million to complete.

“This is the goal it’s to make it beautiful again,” said Baptista.

The project can’t move forward without community fundraising and government grants, something that won’t happen overnight.

“Our plan is a three-year plan, we’re trying to plan for three and hope we can do it in less. We hope we can do it in stages so that we can make part of it available,” said Merkley.

Once complete, the refurbished property will be turned back over to the township. The group hopes to begin fundraising within the next few weeks.