New life for the St. Charles?
Future hinges on demolition of Exchange's oldest building
Thu Nov 23 2006
By Aldo Santin
DEVELOPERS want to demolish the oldest building in the Exchange District to make way for a surface parking lot and a major redevelopment of the neighbouring St. Charles Hotel.
Lawyer Ken Zaifman, who bought the rundown St. Charles Hotel with business partners a year ago, said he needs to demolish a historic property on Albert Street to ensure the hotel is redeveloped.
The project has raised concern within the city's heritage community, which strongly objects to demolishing historic properties for surface parking lots.
"We're saying that the redevelopment of the St. Charles (hotel) is more important to the Exchange District than simply preserving that old building," Zaifman said. "You can't have both -- we need to demolish the building to redevelop the hotel."
Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, chairwoman of the civic historical buildings committee, said the demolition would threaten the integrity and historic character of Albert Street and the entire Exchange District.
"I can't imagine anyone would consider demolishing a heritage building and replacing it with a surface parking lot," Gerbasi said.
Zaifman and his partners have passed the first hurdle in the project at 38-44 1/2 Albert St. Councillors on the Lord Selkirk-West Kildonan community committee voted 2-1 against a historical buildings committee recommendation to give the property, known as the Building Block, a Class III historic buildings designation. The historic designation would have prevented the property from being demolished. The committee's vote can be challenged at the property and development committee meeting in early January.
Area councillor Mike Paktaghan (Point Douglas) said he opposed giving the property a historic designation because its rundown condition doesn't warrant it. He said the issue of demolition will be decided once the developers of the St. Charles Hotel come up with a definitive plan on how the Albert Street property will be used.
Coun. Harry Lazarenko also opposed the historic designation. Coun. Mike O'Shaughnessy was the only one to vote in favour.
Zaifman said the redevelopment plans would see the building converted into a boutique hotel, with the entrance shifted from Notre Dame Avenue to Albert Street. If the neighbouring property is demolished, parking, a new entranceway and an outdoor patio would be added.
Part of the property on Albert Street, a two-storey home, was built in 1877 and a civic report states it is the oldest structure in the downtown area, after the Upper Fort Garry Gate. The rest of the property consists of a one-storey brick block, built in 1924, that surrounds the original home.
The property has contained a restaurant and tailor shop, but is in desperate need of repair. A spokesman for the property owner, Globe Agencies, said it's prepared to sign a long-term lease to Zaifman's group in support of his redevelopment plans, but has no plans for refurbishing the building if it isn't demolished.
A group that advocates for the preservation of heritage buildings in Winnipeg said Zaifman and his partners are making a good case for demolition. Cindy Tugwell of Heritage Winnipeg said the organization would normally oppose the demolition of a heritage building to make way for surface parking, but she realizes saving the Albert Street property would spell doom for the St. Charles Hotel.
"There is an obligation to look at the long-term viability of properties, not just saving them," Tugwell said.
Tugwell said the Heritage Winnipeg board will study the St. Charles Hotel redevelopment plans.
aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca
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