41 buildings that are about to be demolished - Page 5

russman · #81 Posted **Feb 20, 2010, 6:56 PM**

I signed the petition MarieJ. When is the demolition scheduled to begin?

MarieJ · #82 Posted **Feb 24, 2010, 2:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by russman

I signed the petition MarieJ. When is the demolition scheduled to begin?

Thank you so much! Please tell others, see if they will also?

It appears that they are conducting the environmental study right now, which is not something that they should be able to do very well in the dead of winter, so right now I think the weather is on our side -- but as shady as things have been in the past, and through the entire process, I believe that they may figure some way to have it done (even if it is not done right) very soon.

They keep saying in two weeks.
I believe the new deadline is to have all 41 historic buildings torn down by March, at least end of March. It was supposed to be before February, but the "bump" slowed them down. They do not qualify for the funding of 1.38 million dollars they applied for of the stimulus money, not unless the environmental study is finished.

We have a public workshop that was recently planned and is tomorrow. It is supposed to be focused on the fact the buildings have all been demolished, and how we can grow from there. They had ever intent to have all of these buildings torn down already.

Whatever we can do to keep this delayed as long as possible, is just another day that we have those historic buildings in our future.

MTLskyline · #83 Posted **Feb 25, 2010, 6:59 AM**

Most of these buildings don't even look that dilapidated. I'm sure that with some renovations, most of them could be salvaged quite easily. It is possible that a few are fire hazards, but definitely not all 41 of them.

Is there any heritage organization in southern Ontario that could help defend these buildings?? If not, you might want to consider contacting the Canadian Centre for Architecture. I know that they have prevented a lot of buildings from being demolished (and built) in Montreal.

If only we had the money to buy up these properties and fix them up ourselves....

SABBATICAL! · #84 Posted **Mar 19, 2010, 4:56 AM**

You're right that most of them aren't very dilapidated. Over 75% are marked as "FAIR", "GOOD" or better by the city's own assessment documents detailing the conditions of the buildings.

In way of an update, the buildings are not down yet but likely will be start demolition next week. We had a quickly-organized protest last week, about 60 people out, some decent press coverage. There has been some massive backlash from the city, with one of our organizers threatened with legal action by the city, and the city also trying to worm personal details of who was making complaints to the province about the city's handling of this. (The province asked the city to provide environmental, heritage, and archaeological assessments before any site disturbance. The city proceeded with gutting the buildings while doing an environmental assessment, which was supposed to have gone to the province this week. No word on heritage or arch. assessments. I doubt they will do them. The evidence would be too damning. They will provide something and then proceed and hope the province will not be bold enough to step in.)

http://www.brantnews.com/news.cfm?pa...articleId=7232

Brantford’s general manager of engineering has said the demolition of the 41 properties on the south side of Colborne Street could begin as soon as Mar. 22.

Despite the looming wrecking ball, the city’s heritage advisory committee will still go to council that same night to seek designation for all 41 properties.

“We have to continue advocating for heritage because that’s what we do,” chair Jack Jackowetz said.

He has no illusions about a change of heart by city council on Monday, but doesn’t want to write the buildings off just yet.

“Until the buildings come down, it’s not over,” he said.

Jackowetz said if the buildings do come down, people would miss them.
“It’s going to be such a drastic change to the fabric of the community,” he said. “Harmony Square won’t be a square any more. Just imagine driving down Colborne Street without any of those buildings on the right.”

Coun. Dan McCreary will be supporting the motion on Monday, but said it will fail by the same 6-5 vote.

“There are so many reasons to slow things down,” he said. “I think this motion represents exactly what a lot of people in the community feel, but I have no doubt about what the outcome will be.”

whatsthepoint13 · #85 Posted **Mar 19, 2010, 10:08 PM**

Those buildings may be run-down, but they remain beautiful. What Brantford's officials are doing is erasing the very face of their city. Why would they want to replace these "eyesores" with plain grassy lots that would also be eyesores? What they're doing is stupid, ignorant, and wrong. Looking at these pics, I see a city that with investment and determination could be vibrant. What a shame...

KevinFromTexas · #86 Posted **Mar 20, 2010, 6:55 AM**

They don't even look that bad. Seriously, if that's run down, you guys should see some small Texas towns that were bypassed by interstates and left for dead.

Frogfisher · #87 Posted **Mar 24, 2010, 9:37 AM**

Ha! Thats ironic... one of the reasons I don't want to live in America is the lack of these environments. Especially larger cities are becoming too monotone... too "flat"... There is very little to no character. I couldn't live with that.
Branford at least has character... I love the back sides of the buildings and the uniqueness of each buildings.

Taking these buildings down is a major error. Almost an architectural crime.
Somebody is serious bonkers!

I hope you manage to stop them from doing any damage.

SABBATICAL! · #88 Posted **Mar 25, 2010, 1:49 AM**

Some more photos from last weekend posted at http://urbantoronto.ca/showthread.ph...363#post385363

Note the stump of the 130 year old tree they chopped down on the back slope in preparation for demolition, gaping holes where they've punched out windows and ripped off awnings, etc. (but, no, province and feds, we're not "disturbing the site", serious.

)

As an update, right now the demo is awaiting an OK from the federal government, as they seek clarification on how the slope will be stabilized, before they allow use of federal monies for the demolition. There is concern that tearing out these buildings will destabilize the rest of the downtown, as the entire thing is perched on the edge of the river escarpment, with these buildings serving essentially as a 150 year old retaining wall.

1ajs · #89 Posted **Mar 25, 2010, 4:10 AM**

the roofs on those buildings look to be in good shape structurly they look fine and being on a slope like that gariteeds nothings going to ever get built in their place.....

also why is this not in the canada section of the forums this is more then just bradford this is a small peac of canada about to be lost

photoLith · #90 Posted **Mar 25, 2010, 4:31 AM**

This is absolutely fucking sickening. That entire block of buildings is intact, not one torn down or burnt down. I thought the 1960s were over. If I were living anywhere near there, I, no joke, would be fucking yelling and making a scene when they started to tear down those buildings. Id say, WTF is wrong with you disgusting people, have you no fucking decency. Sorry, this just makes me so fing mad that in a liberal country like Canada something so absolutely wrong would be happening. Absolutely terrible. Those people deserve to be jailed for what they are doing. I feel sick to my stomach.

photoLith · #91 Posted **Mar 25, 2010, 5:13 AM**

I was reading that demolition could be stopped because if all of those beautiful buildings are destroyed than the river terrace it is located on could collapse into the river taking a lot of the rest of downtown with it. So, if they destroy roughly 30% of their historic downtown than this could lead to the destruction of even more of their city by slumping it into the river. Hopefully this is true.

Uptowngirl · #92 Posted **Mar 26, 2010, 4:31 AM**

I gave the Preservation Resource Center in New Orleans a link to this thread so they can show people in Louisiana what NOT to do.

This is just depressing.

MolsonExport · #93 Posted **Apr 1, 2010, 4:45 PM**

This is really very sad

10023 · #94 Posted **Apr 1, 2010, 6:08 PM**

Some very stupid people running that town...

village person · #95 Posted **Apr 3, 2010, 12:15 AM**

Any updates, now in April?

flar · #96 Posted **Apr 5, 2010, 12:48 PM**

I'm far from Brantford now so we have to depend on SABBATICAL for an update.

It looks like they were at least forced to go through the motions of a heritage assessment, for which the City of Brantford proceeded to gut the interiors of the buildings to ensure they couldn't be used again.

whatsthepoint13 · #97 Posted **Apr 5, 2010, 2:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frogfisher

Ha! Thats ironic... one of the reasons I don't want to live in America is the lack of these environments. Especially larger cities are becoming too monotone... too "flat"... There is very little to no character. I couldn't live with that.
Branford at least has character... I love the back sides of the buildings and the uniqueness of each buildings.

Taking these buildings down is a major error. Almost an architectural crime.
Somebody is serious bonkers!

I hope you manage to stop them from doing any damage.

There are some larger cities in the US that do have great architectural character, even the ones that seem like they don't often have back neighbourhoods and what not that have amazing character.

Also, this is Canada btw, not America.

I agree though, Brantford's leaders are bonkers! What they're doing is disgusting.

matt602 · #98 Posted **Apr 7, 2010, 3:35 AM**

I am glad to read that this has been put off so far. I really hope those crooks aren't able to get away with this. It's absolutely criminal and completely undemocratic. Some dirty, underhanded stuff like this has happened in Hamilton but not to the same level as this. Slumlords here just let the buildings sit until they fall over by themselves.

SABBATICAL! · #99 Posted **Apr 8, 2010, 4:57 AM**

One of the councillors tried to put up a bid to save 5 of the 41 buildings that are across from the central square (the square will be facing a parking garage once the demolitions are complete), but was shot down by fellow councillors AND city planners on Tuesday. http://www.brantnews.com/news.cfm?pa...articleId=7380

Meanwhile, the continuing gutting of the buildings continues unabated, although outright wrecking balls haven't hit yet since there is no guarantee on federal funding as of yet.

matt602 · #**100** Posted **Apr 8, 2010, 10:53 PM**

Wow...

"Coun. Jennifer Kinneman compared the city's contract with a demolition company to a marriage engagement.

“We are engaged to be married and yet we are going to go out on Lavalife or AshleyMadison.com and just see what’s out there,” she said. “And those prospective dates have no idea that we really don’t have buildings to offer up.”

At the end of Tuesday's meeting, Coun. John Bradford, who has supported demolition, moved a notice of motion that would “direct the end of any motions to be brought forward that create a potential delay in the demolition of the south side of Colborne Street.”

These people are pathetic and as I said already, criminal.