Driving down King Street in St. Stephen, it's hard to ignore the town's decaying former hockey rink, the words "Border Arena" barely legible on the side of the building facing the road.
The new Garcelon Civic Centre was finished in 2014, and since then the old arena has been used only for cold storage, its parking lot crumbling and foliage growing up around its foundation.
But now the Municipal District of St. Stephen has announced a new 66-unit apartment complex will replace the old building, as the result of a partnership with Dock Apartments Inc.
"It's going to help support housing for our people in our community and more likely encourage growth as well," said Mayor Allan MacEachern. "It is going to attract new people to our community along with supporting the housing needs for the people that existed."
He called the arena's location "prime real estate" that's close to essential amenities like grocery stores and restaurants and beside one of the town's elementary schools.
The mayor also said taxpayers will save money in upkeep for a building that has become "old and weathered."
Crews are expected to begin tearing down the old arena in January 2026.
Spearheading this transformation is Dock Apartments president and Charlotte County native Tressa Bevington.
"We have lots of professionals that are coming to town," said Bevington. "Teachers, people working at the hospital and service workers -- they can't find a place to live."
She said units in the new complex will be affordable for families, noting that the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation defines affordability as costing 30 per cent of a household's before-tax income.
The design is expected to include a mix of housing choices, with units having one to three bedrooms, aiming to meet diverse needs in the community.
"The biggest partnership benefit from St. Stephen is definitely getting access to... that land, to make that available," Bevington said. "It's really hard to make a project work if you also have to pay for land on top of it."
Bevington said her company will also receive economic incentives from the municipality that have not yet been determined.
When asked about these incentives, MacEachern would only say that they will "sweeten the pot and get it to happen."
"I care a lot about Charlotte County and the area and I really want to see the whole area thrive," said Bevington.
"I think it's 50-50," St. Stephen resident Bernadette Cunningham said about the project. "If it's done well, it can be a great addition. If it's not, it can be a huge problem."
Cunningham is a business owner in the town who also wants to see her community thrive. She has lived in the area for more than 20 years and owns a downtown fitness centre called Bernie's Body Blast.
"I sit through the council meetings, I get updates on budgets and bylaws and all of that sort of stuff, but there's a lot of unanswered questions," said Cunningham.
The municipality has a big role in how smoothly this process goes.
"I know that a lot of contractors in the area are just hammered constantly with inspections and new rules and regulations, waiting on permits, and things get delayed. So the municipality has a big role in how smoothly this process goes."
She saw this happen first-hand to two buildings near her business, Cunningham said.
"We are in desperate need of housing and appropriate housing," she added. "I don't need to see just one answer; I think there's a ton of different ones."