The experimental farm is a quiet space with P.E.I.'s busiest street running alongside it. (CBC)

A P.E.I. citizens group is vowing to take the offensive in the fight to keep a 35-hectare experimental farm property in Charlottetown green and publicly owned by examining whether it can buy the land through donations.

At a meeting hosted by city Coun. Mitch Tweel on Wednesday night at Birchwood Junior High School, residents expressed their concerns about a proposal by the Mi'kmaq Confederacy that would see the First Nations organization take ownership and develop a portion of the land.

Agriculture Canada declared its old experimental farm to be surplus in 2002, leading to discussions about what to do with it ever since.

A group called the Friends of the Farm has been lobbying for years to have the farm turned into parkland, arguing the green space is part of Charlottetown's identity.

Residents said Wednesday they will look into raising money to purchase the land and turn it over to the city or the province.

The value of the land has been estimated at $8 million.

The Mi'kmaq Confederacy has previously made allusions to making some sort of land claim to take over the farm, but has not launched any official proceedings. It does, however, hope one day to own the property on behalf of aboriginal people of P.E.I.

A brief agreement between the Mi'kmaq Confederacy and the Friends of the Farm ended acrimoniously last week.

The Mi'kmaq proposal would keep two-thirds of the farm as green space, but also develop a conference centre, seniors home and commercial space.

The confederacy intends to host a public forum within the next few weeks to let the public have a look at the proposal and have its say.