The minister responsible for infrastructure says government is open to exploring the possibility of repurposing the old Waterford Hospital for affordable housing.

NDP Leader Jim Dinn says the opportunity exists to renovate the former Waterford Hospital site into “publicly-owned and operated affordable, supported transitional housing.”

Minister Barry Petten says parts of the Waterford are still in use, and while assessments would have to be carried out on the structure, he’s open to the idea.

“Right now it falls under NLHS. It will come to us, it will be in our inventory. That’s a bigger assessment that needs to be done with the building to figure out what’s what. We’re open to suggestions.

“We have a lot of vacant buildings throughout the province and we’re always looking to repurpose, and if it’s something that we can do in an economical manner that’s feasible, we will definitely consider it.”