Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelTown
Councillors opposed development plan to raze downtown Hamilton's Philpott Memorial Church
Developer says two 30-storey towers will provide 'badly needed housing'
https://www.thespec.com/news/council...bb48efd1a.html
City councillors are opposed to a developer's pitch to demolish a 123-year-old downtown Hamilton church to make way for residential towers.
Instead, they've told city staff to issue notice of the city's plan to protect Philpott Memorial Church on York Boulevard under provincial heritage legislation.
Empire Communities hopes to build two 30-storey residential towers with roughly 700 residential units and commercial space on the property across from FirstOntario Centre.
A plan that doesn't involve razing the church would cut the housing component in half, Stephen Armstrong, a consultant representing the developer, told councillors Friday.
“We're providing badly needed housing on a site that's ready to go.”
Technical studies, meanwhile, have found the church's facade is “unsavable” with badly deteriorating bricks under stone cladding that was added in 1957, Armstrong noted.
A proposed heritage easement, rather than designation, would ensure key elements such as the church's pillars, stained-glass windows and wood floors, are salvaged and incorporated into the future building, he said.
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Yeah they're gonna fight tooth and nail to keep that building - esp since they were rather insulted at the generic design he hoped to put in its place - the whole "demolishing 5 city blocks to make jackson" is not likely to be repeated again with whatever is left around it. I hope they come up with a compromise - I'd like to see it restored to its former glory before the stone was put on top. I know this isa controvertial topic, esp between chris and honestmaple as seen on the toronto forums lol.. but I am a heritage guy, and I wanna see it kept
Also they make it sound like cutting the amt in half is the end of the world - look how much is being proposed for the replacement of city center alone, along with the cobalt development and all the others - we're doing fine for adding density.
Also these are people who build housing - rebricking a building, structural issues that might come up aside,.. they probably already have brick in stock to use - it was built a century ago - it can't be that complicated. Building code standards.. maybe. Incorporating it into a new building.. maybe - but at least then you're already peeling off the outside -itd probably be easier to incorporate tan ust butting it against existing brick.
Mind you, hamilton IS kinda cursed then it comes to incorporating churches into new designs..