Bringing New Life to the Sergeants Mess Hall Building

As Base31 continues to evolve, we’re always looking for ways to strengthen the places where our community gathers. In the coming weeks, the Sergeants Mess Hall building will be entering a planned renovation phase that will help transform the building and the surrounding north area into a more flexible, cohesive, and welcoming part of the site. The reimagined space will be designed by Giannone Petricone Associates, the architects behind the restoration of Picton’s historic Royal Hotel, who will bring their deep experience in heritage renewal and contemporary placemaking to this next chapter of the district.

These updates are rooted in our long-term vision for Base31: a vibrant, year-round district that supports cultural programming, live performance, community use, and public gathering, all while honouring the unique history of this place and creating new opportunities for visitors and future residents to discover what’s coming next including new experiences and offerings coming to Prince Edward County through the site.

Inside the Sergeants Mess Hall building, the renovation will reshape the entire building so it can support a wider range of uses. The space will become a flexible, multi-use venue designed to accommodate live music, events, community programs, and cultural activity, with the Pilot’s Lounge space renovated to create a larger and more adaptable performance venue, giving us more room to host musical and diverse programming and gatherings of all kinds.

The building will also become a welcoming starting point for visitors and future residents to learn about the past, present, and future of Base31 as our broader site development progresses, including upcoming programming, new public spaces, and future housing, rental, and ownership opportunities. While the building will serve many purposes, cultural programming will continue to play an important role in its future.

The renovation work extends well beyond the walls of the building. Across the north side of the site, we’re improving pedestrian access and flow so visitors can more easily move between the Sergeants Mess Hall building, The Commissary, and nearby gathering places. The outdoor concert and event environment connected to The Commissary will also be strengthened, helping support both live outdoor performance and everyday community use.

As part of creating a more unified and intuitive experience, we’ll be introducing new wayfinding, including major entrance signage at both Kingsley Road and County Road 22, and new visitor kiosks to help orient guests to the district and share the larger vision of the project, inviting people to explore not just what Base31 is today, but what it is becoming.

These improvements build on the beautification work completed this year and will be supported by refreshed landscaping and enhanced pedestrian routes, opening up more space for circulation and future public use while helping the site remain safe and welcoming for all.

This renovation is part of a broader renewal across the north area of Base31. Over the past year, we’ve announced new family-focused tenants in The HUB Child & Family Centre and Wildlings Play Café, revitalized the Sensory Garden and Aviators Garden, expanded community use of the Moir House, built the Fairgrounds Pickleball Courts, and improved the Kingsley Parking Lot.

Together, these changes are helping to shape a more vibrant and family-friendly area of the site where neighbours, visitors, and community groups can gather throughout the year.

The work ahead at the Sergeants Mess Hall building is an important step toward creating a more welcoming, beautiful, and versatile place that supports Base31’s cultural programming, community activities, visitor experience, and future neighbourhood development for years to come.

The renewed spaces will invite deeper exploration, spark curiosity, and offer new ways for residents and visitors to connect with the history and evolving future of the district. We look forward to sharing more details as the renovation progresses, and we can’t wait to welcome you back into the renewed spaces when they reopen next year.