City turns to private sector to run Auchmar
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/32...o-run-auchmar/
The city is officially putting out a call to the private sector to help save one of its most iconic buildings.
Staff are asking for proposals for "the use, adaptive reuse, conservation and management of the entire Auchmar Estate," a historic city-owned property at the corner of Fennell Avenue and West 5th Street.
Councillors voted last October to ask the private sector to run the historic Gothic-style mansion, once the home of Sir Isaac Buchanan. Staff will review the proposals, then come back to councillors with several options.
The call for proposals is a crucial step for the long-term health of the building. Though the city hopes to preserve the mansion, Auchmar needs millions of dollars in repairs — and that money is also needed to maintain other city infrastructure. A partnership with the private sector would allow the city to preserve Auchmar's historical elements while funnelling some much-needed cash into the building's preservation.
The call for proposals doesn't offer any specific guidelines about the use of the building. If Auchmar were to remain solely under city control, staff proposed turning the building into a meeting and reception facility.
This is far from the first time the city has considered partnering with the private sector on Auchmar. At one point, there was a proposal to turn it into medical and professional offices. The now-defunct Settlement and Immigration Services of Ontario (SISO) also eyed the building. Developer Warren Green once proposed redeveloping the building, but with the stipulation that a part of the historic property would used to build townhouses. All of these proposals fell through.
City staff will host a meeting for interested bidders at the Dundurn Castle Coach House on Monday June 3 at 2 p.m.
Bidders are asked to drop off sealed requests for information (one original plus three copies) to the Procurement Manager, City of Hamilton Procurement Section, Standard Life Building, 120 King St. W., 9th Floor, Suite 900, Hamilton, ON, L8P 4V2.
The city will be accepting these packages until 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 20.