The University of Guelph is determined to demolish the historic D.M. Rutherford Family Conservatory, even if the city chooses to designate it as a heritage property next month.
“It is a folly as it currently exists,” said Rene Van Acker, acting president and vice-chancellor during Wednesday’s Board of Governors meeting. “And I’m not sure we can afford a folly when it costs $5 million to renovate it just so that it keeps standing.”
A motion to decommission the conservatory and replace it with commemorative gardens was approved during the meeting.
The structure has been on the heritage registry for years, and while the city wants to designate it for its historical significance, the university believes the rotting building is too pricey and unsafe to maintain.
The conservatory, located on Christie Lane beside the University Centre, was built in 1930, designed by Lord and Burnham of St. Catharines. A glass building with limestone blocks, there aren’t many, if any, structures like it left in North America.
But the BOG believes it’s the last one standing for good reason.
“It’s not just the design, it’s because it’s made of cypress wood. So one might understand why it is the last existing building of this nature, and part of it has to do with the materials that were used at the time.”
Of particular concern is the impact of the coming winter, given the rotting structure and failing glass frame supports. The board said the conservatory had been “rotting from the inside” and they couldn’t tell until it was too late.
“From a financial perspective, there’s better uses for the money, and really it’s just that simple,” said board member Deb Stark. “Even if we put $5 million (into it), the nature of the building means we will be doing this again in not a long time.”
Vice-president (external) Jason Moreton said even the remaining Rutherford family agreed it was “too much to spend, especially given that it’s not serving any academic or research purposes.”
It hasn’t been open for six years and hasn’t been the site of any educational programming for even longer, they said.
Sharmilla Rasheed, vice-president of finance and operations said while the city is “well aware” of the safety concerns, she’s “not too optimistic,” and believes council will vote to designate the conservatory as a heritage site on Nov. 13.
“They look at this very differently,” she said. “They don't look at safety, they look at all of the other things.”
She said her team is working on a strategy for next moves if that happens. If it’s not designated, they will immediately move forward with demolishing the structure.
If it is, they have a plan to “still get it demolished because of safety reasons.”
The university can serve the city with a notice of objection within 30 days of designation. Once the property is designated, it can also apply for a permit to demolish the structure under the Ontario Heritage Act.
If demolition is refused, that decision can be further appealed within 30 days.
