Citing concerns about the property’s value and future development potential, the owner of an historic Guelph property – a repurposed transformer substation dating back to 1912 – wants city council to drop its heritage designation efforts.
City council is set to consider an objection notice for 22 James St. E. during its meeting on Feb. 11. The designation was approved in November but on hold pending an objection period.
“My client fully understands the importance of preserving historically significant properties, it is believed that the negative impact of the proposed heritage designation far outweighs the benefits in this case,” states the objection notice, submitted by the owner’s lawyer. “My client strongly objects to the potential designation.”
Now that an objection has been filed, council will be asked to reaffirm the Ontario Heritage Act designation or abandon it and remove the property from the city’s municipal heritage registry.
The owner’s notice doesn’t suggest 22 James St. E. isn’t worthy of heritage designation. Rather, it argues the designation effort should be called off because of concern about potential negative impacts to the property’s value and future development potential, as well as renovation restrictions and increased maintenance costs.
“My client respectfully requests that the proposal for heritage designation be reconsidered in light of these concerns,” the notice states.
In the eyes of city heritage staff, the site meets five of nine designation criteria set by the province; only two are required for designation.
Bought in 1912, 22 James St. E. saw the creation of a transformer substation for the then-planned railway line between Toronto and Berlin (now Kitchener). When that plan was scaled back due to the Second World War, it was converted into a rail car barn. Sold in 1952, the building was converted into the apartments seen today.
"The property is a restrained and functional form of Beaux-Arts, namely characterized by the stylistic elements on the pilasters, the monumental windows, a highly visible central entrance, and the architectural symmetry," explains the staff report. "Beaux-Arts originated in the 1890s as a synthesis of Classical Greek and Roman styles with Italian and French Renaissance styles."
Heritage attributes identified by city staff include it's two-storey nature with a rectangular footprint, hipped roof, symmetrical facade, exterior brick walls and sheet metal cornice surrounding the whole building, along with all original window and door openings.