Mark Preece Family House
 

Comfortable accommodations for families whose loved ones are in hospital

A home-away-from-home for families of adult patients in Hamilton hospitals is beginning to take shape on Barton Street East. Renovations have begun on the old stone building next to the General Hospital and will provide accommodations for 14 guest families when it opens in 2009.

The Mark Preece Family House is a not-for-profit charitable organization that was formed by friends, colleagues and family members of Dr. Mark Preece, a respected critical care physician at Hamilton Health Sciences who lost his battle to cancer in 1997. The family house was inspired by his family’s experiences while staying at a similar facility in Pittsburgh, where Dr. Preece received specialized care, allowing them to be near him at all times throughout his treatment. After his death, they recognized the need for support for families experiencing medically stressful situations in Hamilton.

“Whether you are a local or regional resident, your home is too far away when the future of your loved one is unclear,” said Christine Bradley, Chair, Board of Directors, Mark Preece Family House.

The Mark Preece Family House will provide these families with a place to rest for a modest fee. The family will be able to stay close by their loved one’s bedside and provide continued support. Guests will also feel supported by other families staying at the house who are sharing similar experiences.

“The challenges for out-of-town families are exacerbated by the huge costs associated with hotels, meals and parking,” said Lori Issenman, Chief of Social Work Practice at Hamilton Health Sciences. “Most families cannot manage these costs and require the support of a family house.”

Guests of the Mark Preece Family House may be families of adult patients from each of the five hospitals and cancer centre at Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare. Its location, next to the General, is convenient for the many patients and families who travel from across Ontario to receive acute care at the General.

“Hamilton Health Sciences is proud to support the Mark Preece Family House,” said Murray Martin, President and CEO, Hamilton Health Sciences. “Patient and family-centred care is our priority.”

For more information about the Mark Preece Family House, contact Elaine Scrivener, Executive Director at (905) 529-0770 or visit www.markpreecehouse.ca.

Rendering....

http://www.markpreecehouse.ca/upload...0rendering.JPG

Currently...

http://www.markpreecehouse.ca/upload...20building.JPG

yea, it looks awesome! I was there the other day. Can't wait to see what that whole area looks like in a few years.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/dahammer/mark.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...mmer/mark1.jpg

Awesome!! I'm so happy HHS & the General decided to incorporate this into their plans rather than demo. Way to be a leader HHS! (especially in this city)

This whole stretch of Barton should transform radically (in a good way) over the next decade or so. I can see Barton/Victoria being a great place to go for food & drinks w/o worrying too much about crime (which is a huge problem around there now).

Let's hope that the Ferguson land gets developped properly in order to reflect the great, positive changes around here recently!

Now that is a restoration. Beautiful.

Great project!

Barton St. - home to Ontario's first drive-through beer store, I believe.

hahaha Best part; they put it in the trunk for you!!

Almost kitty corner from it.

your 1000th post discusses beer :cheers:

hahaha That's so sweet! I didn't even realize it was my 1000th post!
And what a great way to celebrate! Sadly, the beer I was referring to in that post was Lakeport :( hahahaha

That picture is extremely misleading! I can't beleive that the building shown is in the middle of Hamilton. It looks like its in the boonies somewhere.
:cheers:

great observation. Used to be FULL of industry and warehouses....you're literally looking at the regeneration of an old industrial district now with new hospital towers, stores planned, a new street, some reno's of existing buildings/stores etc..... a pretty exciting area of the city. I can't wait to see what happens in the next few years.

It doesn't look like that any more. The roof and the dormers have been replaced. There is a parking lot and rough in for ferguson avenue extension around the building.

it looks like the rendering now. I was there the other day.

Fire this morning at the Mark Preece Family House. Building is a total loss. Only the 4 wall left.

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/3...de92d1amd2.jpg

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4...d296326td1.jpg

Heritage building blaze closes Barton

Loss of family residence "a tragedy"

December 04, 2008
John Burman and Jackson Hayes
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/476776
Fire has destroyed a 132-year-old Hamilton heritage building under renovation as a family house for relatives of critical-care patients at Hamilton General Hospital.

Heavy orange flames could be seen from the Mountain and black smoke filled the north-Hamilton sky before dawn.

Flames have subsided and fire remain dousing hotspots in the burnt out shell.

The blaze was reported at 5:30 a.m. and fire crews were pulled out of the building at 6:30 a.m. as the front roof began to collapse, adopting a defensive  strategy to contain the blaze after the front wall collapsed.

Police and fire officials kept pedestrians well away from the building when a wall supporting its hydro connection fell down, laying live wires on the ground.

Barton Street East has been closed at Wellington Street and Ferguson Avenue and HSR buses re-routed. Barton Street should remain closed for several hours as will the bridge on Ferguson Avenue North.

Emergency crews closed off a large section of the  central core as the smell of smoke hung in the area

There was no one in the building at the time. Officials said the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office and the city building department have been contacted to investigate

The blaze in the former Smart-Turner pump factory on Barton Street East, west of Wellington, broke out at 5:30 a.m. and was reported by staff at Tim Hortons.

John Verbeek, Hamilton fire information officer, said the blaze started in the basement of the stone-walled building.

The building is owned by Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS).

It was under renovations to become the Mark Preece Family House. Verbeek said the renovations were “at the dry-wall stage.

“It is a shame. They were going to use this like a Ronald McDonald House for people with family at the General,” he said.

Lisa Tittley, Mark Preece’s widow said at the scene she was “devastated by the fire.”

“It’s been 11 long years working towards it,” she said.

Jeff Vallentin, Hamilton Health Sciences assistant vice -president corporate and medical affairs, called the blaze “a tragedy.”

HHS donated the land and building to the Mark Preece Foundation to renovate it for the residence house, which was nearing completion.

“It is a loss to Hamilton General and other hospitals that would have used it,” he said.

“It is a devastating loss of the passion and hardwork of volunteers who worked toward this."

Verbeeek had no word yet on the cause and said there were no injuries.

Built in 1876-77 as a malthouse, the one-and-a-half story building was acquired by the city some time ago and was in the process of being designated an historical building by city council.

HHS objected to the designation as it might impede fundraising efforts for Mark Preece House.

The blaze was reported when a customer at Tim Hortons across Barton Street just west noticed flames pouring from a  front windows and smoke rising in the area.

Staff Sgt. Nancy Goodes-Ritchie said police notified Hamilton General Hospital about heavy smoke so they could make adjustments to its ventilation system.

Police quickly shut down the entrance to Hortons as well as Barton Street East at Ferguson North and Wellington although customers could still get in on foot from the Kenesky’s Sports parking lot off Wellington.

Mike Bradyk, who was having his morning coffee in Hortons, said he sat and watched it burn.

“It is sad. Going back and forth to the grocery store, I pretty much watched that place being renovated,” he said, adding the planned conversion to a residence was going to be good.

Thanks to whipping cold winds, smoke has swirled throughout the neighbourhood chasing many spectators back indoors. Smoke seemed to be blowing mainly south.

Clint Burleigh was driving his fiancé to work at the hospital.

“Coming down the Mountain I could see the flames. It looked like like a camp fire.”

Officials said the blaze appeared to be in the basement of the structure and had burned up into the first floor.

The blaze became a two-alarm fire when flames began to appear through the barn-shaped roof. An aerial truck was pouring water into the blaze when the roof collapsed.

No injuries have been reported and it is not known how long Barton Street East will be shut down.

HSR buses on the Barton route have been re-routed.

The family house project is named for Mark Preece, a critical-care physician in Hamilton who was diagnosed with cancer in 1996 and was 38 when he died a year later. Before he died, he and his family experienced a welcoming residence for adults, similar to the Ronald McDonald concept, in Pittsburgh, Pa. where he went for treatment.

The National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses is a U.S. based organization that supports more than 200 homes in North America in being more effective in service to patients and families.

A year after Preece's death, friends and colleagues founded Hospital Family Houses of Ontario, a charitable organization it's hoped will spread throughout the province.

Then the group began fundraising to open a place in Hamilton.

This is the second major fire at the building.

In December 1999, flames destroyed part of the building at the rear where thousands of hardwood moulds used to manufacture pumps and other machinery had been stored and left behind by the old Smart-Turner company.

The building was owned then by the Niagara Peninsula Aboriginal Management Board which had had plans to turn it into a centre for native entrepreneurship.

:( tragedy

How sad.

Hopefully the stones are still salvageable.

:(

Arson?

Mice with matches! The Fire Marshals Office has been called to investigate.

How unfortunate. It was turning into a jewel on barton street. :(

Tragic, last time I was there it looked like the renos were nearly finished.

I hope they don't just tear it all down. They should make a park out of the ruins.

It's awful. The people behind the project must be devastated. The house had its origins in a great gesture of good will and was taking shape through the hard work and diligence of people committed to the comfort and solace of others. And it was - was going to be - a great example of adaptive and constructive reuse of property that might otherwise have sat neglected.

It's disappointing, though by now not surprising, the way the Spectator is able to view any news event through the lens of traffic flow and commerce, as if that's the angle that speaks to our common interests and perspectives. The article is titled "Heritage Building Blaze Closes Barton" and is filled with details of how traffic was effected and the means by which Tim Horton's customers were able to enter the store through the Wellington St entrance. In October when a woman was struck and killed at Main & James, the first headline was something about "Downtown Gridlock".

I'm watching the news on tv right now about the horrible fire. I hate to see heritage buildings damaged in any way. I hope it wasn't arson. If it was I hope they find the culprit.

And welcome to the board Jeff. :)

Yes tragic for sure. that hour of the morning it's likely arson rather than workers tools or mishaps. Hopefully they can salvage the stone and incorporate it in a new building, still have something unique. If Hamilton Health Sciences is tight on funds and wants to launch a campaign donation drive, I'm in. The community needs something like this.

Hey Jeff, welcome! We need more people like you on the board.

I certainly hope no one lets entropy and arson determine this lot's future... or the help available to families who need it.

Even with the loss of the history, that can't be undone, I hope whatever happens next makes a statement about the importance of the project and the value of transforming that property.

It would be a real shame to have an empty lot for any significant time... I just hope the arsonist doesn't feel they've "won" or that destruction of property is just tolerated and let to sit.

The building had all of the rooms framed and 75% of the dry wall in. They’re where appliances for the kitchen already delivered to the building.

They should be able to rebuild if the outside wall is sound. Apparently the west wall is now leaning out 12 to 18 inches and they are worried it will come down.

The building was insured for $2 million.

If anyone is interested, the fire call came into the fire department at 5:34 am and first calls came from the Tim Hortons. The fire moved rapidly through the building.

Awful, awful. What a tragedy, and how horrible for the family and everyone else who worked on this.

A little to soon to be suggesting arson, IMO. Alot can go wrong on a construction site.

The site was a dumping ground for various chemicals so it's not surprising the fire spread quickly.

Tragedy i agree but lets try and make somethign out of this.

Building was insured for two million? Why not use some of this money to make a bid into treble hall and renovate that?:cheers:

uuuhhhhh... because they still need to build a house on the Mark Preece property for the families of Hospital patients with that money.

Saw on the news tonight they plan to move ahead as quickly as possible to rebuild.

Sad to say but I rarely expect people to have the proper insurance - its good they did in this case.

I think my friend said it best:
"unbelievable that an actual practical use of a heritage building in hamilton gets to going in hamilton and...it burns down. boy oh boy"

This and the government F-up in one morning made me wonder why I bothered getting up and going to work.


Edit: Wrong thread. Failed.

They have knocked down part of the west wall late today for safety reasons.

Absolutely horrible. When I heard about this I was devastated. I was so excited to see this project finished. It would have been a catalyst for that stretch of Barton.

Such a terrible loss. I guess we should be thankful though that the house hadn't opened yet and there weren't any families staying there.

They sound like they want to rebuild and I'm sure they will.

Went by today to have a look at the damage. It was gut wrenching. I can't see how they could possibly restore the building even if they wanted to. The entire second floor is gone/collapsed into the first floor. The place is done.

Good thing they are rebuilding for the sake of the families who will be staying there. Bad thing we've lost a heritage building that can NEVER be replaced.

It's arson :hell:

Source?

CH News

F*ck. F*ck, f*ck, f*ck. Who would do such a thing? I hope they catch the f*ckers.

Am just reading about this for the first time :(

How truly awful. Both my mother and I walked past that building several times during our visit in October and both commented on how great it was looking and what a great purpose for a building so close to the hospital.

I hope that whoever is responsible is made to seriously pay for their actions. I'd really like to know what their motivation, beyond pure evil, was for destroying such a well intended building. I also hope that the building is salvageable in some way and can be restored again, rather than lost forever.

Arson blamed in Preece House fire
Investigators reviewing video at scene of historic home blaze

December 17, 2008
Jackson Hayes
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/483226

Investigators believe arson is to blame for the fire that tore through the Mark Preece Family House earlier this month.

Arson Detective Marco DelConte said yesterday that police are reviewing video from surveillance cameras at the scene but would not elaborate on the evidence and why arson is suspected.

Fire officials at the time of the blaze said it started in the basement but DelConte would not confirm that.

For the members of the Mark Preece Family House board of directors, the news came as a sad continuation in an already tough month.

"It was the 21st when we lost Mark," Lisa Tittley said, referring to the 11-year anniversary of her late husband's death, which is just a few days away.

"I'm sad that some individuals did this, but it's not going to stop the resolve of the board and the community at large and our donors," she said. "We will rebuild."

The historic stone-walled building on Barton Street went up in flames around 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 4.

Crews were renovating the 132-year-old structure into a family house for people with loved ones in critical care at nearby Hamilton General.

Owned by Hamilton Health Sciences and leased for $2 a year, the project was in honour of ICU physician Mark Preece, who died of melanoma in 1997.

His family and friends had spent a decade raising funds and organizing this project and were "mere months" away from opening.

Sandy Craik, board chair and Mark's best man more than a decade earlier, said engineering and architectural crews are still assessing the building but there is hope much can be salvaged.

"We are gathering a list of what is needed," he said, adding that the goal is to rebuild the current site and they are still calculating the cost of the inferno.

Craik felt the building has become emblematic of Preece.

"He never gave up, right until the very end. Now you have this building sitting there with beautiful walls and a strong foundation that won't give up," he said. "It is strong and well built and would provide shelter for people who couldn't do it for themselves."

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 905-540-5085.