Church makes historic move
St. John's Anglican seeks heritage status reversal for project
Jill Smith, The StarPhoenix
Published: Monday, November 26, 2007
St. John's Anglican Cathedral on Spadina Crescent is looking to have the heritage designation removed from part of its land, so a developer can build an upscale condominium complex in place of the deanery.
"I think there's all kinds of ministry that opens up and is available to the congregation when that piece of property is sold," said Dean Terry Wiebe, church rector.
The deanery used to be the residence for the parish priest, but is no longer used by the church. There are three buildings on the parcel of land. The cathedral and the office building would remain designated heritage buildings. The residence to the south of the church will be sold to Remai Ventures Inc.
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St. John's Anglican Cathedral and the deanery, left, where developers hope to build condos
Greg Pender, The StarPhoenix
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Font:****Weibe says it's not unusual for cathedrals to find themselves on prime real estate. He says they often choose to sell off portions of their land, rather than "sitting on it."
Victoria Neufelt, president of Saskatoon Heritage Society, says she regrets the possible loss of a heritage building in Saskatoon.
"It will significantly affect the front of the streetscape," she said during a phone interview Friday.
But Wiebe says he's confident Remai Ventures Inc. will be able to make the condo look like it's always been there.
"The developers are very good at making sure that everybody is happy, because there's no point in being a developer and raising the ire of every single stakeholder," said Wiebe.
The congregation and Remai Ventures have agreed on several building restrictions on the condo to protect the integrity of the cathedral. They agreed the condo's design should be complimentary to the cathedral, and not be taller than the church steeple.
Communication devices, such as satellite dishes, will not be allowed on the roof of the new development. In addition, the groups plan to maintain a common greenspace between the two buildings.
"With all of the concerns that people have about the building itself, they will find that it will be a great addition to Spadina," said Wiebe.
Neufelt is concerned the condo will be "bulky."
"I don't expect the shape of the building would echo the cathedral," she said.
The condo will be 15 storeys tall with four units per floor says Curtis Zwack, director of real estate for Remai Ventures. He says the building will be a square shape and will mimic some of the red brick on the church.
While Neufelt is concerned about how visible the cathedral will be on the street, she says she sympathizes with the church's position.
"They need funding," she said.
The report headed to the city's planning and operations committee on Tuesday says the cathedral is in need of "substantial restoration work." But Wiebe says the sale isn't just about refurbishing the outside of the cathedral.
"I don't think it's just a matter of doing things to maintain the building," he said. "I think that there's more to a church than just a building."
"It's the programs. It's the ministry. It's the things that we're able to do on an ongoing basis," said Wiebe.
The cathedral was designated as a municipal heritage property in 2004 by city council. The property and the three buildings resting on it, fell under the designation. However, the report states the heritage value on the parcel of land "lies soley with the cathedral building."
The deanery was built in the 1950s, and currently houses one tenant.
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