City officials are making a second attempt at placing heritage protections on a pair of historic buildings in The Ward.
Meeting Tuesday evening, council unanimously approved a motion to relaunch the process of designating 47 Alice St. under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA), which, if ultimately approved, would require city approval before alterations, renovations or additions can be done that may impact the property’s heritage attributes, including landscape and natural features.
“The building contributes to an understanding of an important period of Italian immigration to Canada and the development of Guelph’s Italian community in St Patrick’s Ward,” states a staff report to council. “The property speaks to the working-class character of the Ward and the historical mixture of residential and industrial activity within this neighbourhood.
“The buildings also support the compact, low-rise character of the streetscape prevalent in the Ward today.”
City council of the day sought to designate the property in 2008, spurring an appeal from the then-owner. That appeal resulted in the former Conservation Review Board recommending the city move ahead with designation, but that was put on pause at the owner’s request.
“After the subsequent sale of the subject property, the current owners of 47 Alice Street have indicated that they are supportive of the heritage designation of their property and have encouraged finalization of the designation process,” says the staff report.
At this point in the renewed process, council agreed to advertise its intent to designate the property under the OHA, with formal consideration to follow a 30-day period for objectors to come forward.
The house is a one-storey, late Edwardian Ontario cottage with a hipped roof, the staff report explains. Though the house is set back from the street, the shop – which operated as Vincenzo Valeriote’s Shoe Repairing Shop – is flush with the front property line.
Both were constructed prior to 1929.
The shop is now home to the Alice Street Clubhouse.
The buildings are currently listed on the municipal heritage registry, but are set to automatically come off on January 1, 2025 unless OHA designation is granted.
