NSCAD moving from historic Halifax property

HALIFAX -- Canada's oldest independent arts university is moving from the historic downtown Halifax property that has served as its home since the 1970s.

The board of governors of NSCAD University, formerly the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, made the decision last week after months of consultations on how to improve the experience of its students.

The university, which has struggled financially in recent years, began talks after receiving a $3-million donation in July 2014 and recently decided the best solution is to move its Fountain campus to another location.

The Fountain campus -- one of three operated by the university -- is made up of 23 interconnected Victorian buildings that once served as merchant shops and warehouses in the heart of downtown Halifax.

In a news release, university president Dianne Taylor-Gearing describes the downtown property as charming, but says the aging buildings need more money.

The university hopes to move to an integrated campus by the end of 2019.

Its other campuses include the Academy Building on Brunswick Street and a 6,500-square-metre building on the city's waterfront.

The school said last year it was making progress on reducing its deficit and debt.

It flirted with the idea of merging with another university in the city to help ease costs, but concluded an affiliation would not lead to savings and could actually cost more.