A new city plan for Auchmar
Hamilton Spectator
By Mark McNeil
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/62...n-for-auchmar/
The city could operate Auchmar at close to a break-even basis, but the historic building on Hamilton Mountain would still need $6 million to $8 million in capital costs, according to a city official.
Ian Kerr-Wilson, the manager of museums and heritage presentation, says the building could be adaptively reused for weddings, meetings, seminars, retreats, tours and other events that would gradually see increasing annual revenues over four years to $130,000 from $65,000.
But expenses would be slightly more, ranging from $109,000 to $136,000 per year over the same period, he told members of the municipal heritage committee Thursday.
When pressed by Coun. Judi Partridge about renovation costs, Kerr-Wilson acknowledged "that capital is the big elephant" and "it's a difficult nut to crack."
And while he felt the adaptive reuse plan was viable, he noted "it could be a disaster if we don't run it properly."
Auchmar, at the northeast corner of Fennell Avenue and West 5th, was built in the 1850s by Isaac Buchanan, who was a prominent merchant and politician in Hamilton.
Kerr-Wilson's presentation is the latest development in the city's effort to find an economically viable use for the facility that has been owned by the city since 1999. Since 2008, more than $2.5 million has been spent on stabilization work on the roof and chimneys, foundations, stucco, windows and stone walls, among other things.
Some of the big ticket items that haven't been done are upgrades to heating, electrical, plumbing and sewer lines, an elevator, a sprinkler system and air conditioning.
The operational plan was requested by council after putting on hold a proposal to sell the building and another plan to find requests for proposals from the private sector.
Meanwhile, Diane Dent, the president of Friends of Auchmar, argued the plan, even with the extensive capital costs, is viable. She noted the Bell Gairdner estate, own by the City of Mississauga, was once in a similar predicament and has since been transformed into a viable wedding centre.
"It was a wreck. It's been restored. The City of Hamilton should get the business plan from them."
She feels renovation funds could be raised.
"Somehow we have to do crowd funding, get some good grants and we are all willing to help."
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