For many years, many local heritage advocates have expected a 170-year-old barn in south Guelph would be granted a heritage designation, which comes with a level of protection.
But with no designation handed down as of yet, and deteriorating conditions, concerns are being raised over the building's future.
The stone barn on the property of 2187 Gordon St. has been standing since the 1850s, between Clair Road and Maltby Road. But a wall on one side has come down recently.
"It has been earmarked for designation since 2011," said Ward 5 Coun. Leanne Caron, adding she brought it up to Heritage Guelph at that point, but was told at the time it still had a private owner, was well taken care of and conservation is understood.
She said since then, the property has changed hands, and the condition of the building deteriorated "due to lack of maintenance, lack of ensuring the site was maintained to a proper standard."
Caron said it's clear to the property owner, Mattamy Homes, the city wants to designate the property, which is identified in the Clair-Maltby secondary plan by address as a site to conserve.
She said it's the property owner's responsibility to keep the property at a standard where conservation is expected.
But it's also the city's responsibility to inspect properties at risk.
"If the owner failed to take proper measures to keep the property in good condition – it is wilful demolition by neglect," Caron said.
"My personal opinion is that if it destabilizes and there is a wall collapse, the owner should be required to rebuild it."
She said it's important to conserve these pieces of history for future generations, as it collectively tells the story of the area.
"Other than Indigenous settlements, these were the structures that defined a sense of place that we have in this area of town," Caron said. "Sense of place is important to a city's identity."
She said we also owe it to Puslinch to conserve the building. The land was part of Puslinch before the land was annexed to Guelph in 1994.
"Honestly, the adaptive reuse potential has economic value to the property owner," said Caron. "There is economic benefit to the property owner to conserve this building. It can be a signature site for their new subdivision."
The property is not up for discussion on future agendas at the moment.
When asked for an interview to discuss concerns the building seems to be falling into disrepair, Mattamy Homes released the following statement via email.
"Mattamy owns the property at 2187 Gordon Street and is working with the city to address the barn while future plans are being considered," Mattamy Homes said.
The Mattamy representative added, "it's all we’ll be able to say on this matter at this time."
Caron said there are great developers out there, but she doesn't want the stone barn to go the way of the old Shortreed Farmhouse at 797 Victoria Rd. N. – a heritage property which was demolished by the Grand River Conservation Authority in 2021.
"How many wake up calls do we need?" she said.
