Raise the Hammer
By Ryan McGreal
Published June 27, 2013
The Gore Park buildings threatened with demolition are on Heritage Canada's Top Ten Endangered Places list for 2013. In their writeup on 24 and 28 King Street East, Heritage Canada notes:
The Municipal Heritage Committee, with support from the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO), made recommendations that the entire block be designated under the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA). However, the City reached an agreement with the owner, Wilson-Blanchard, not to designate the block in exchange for a promise not to demolish numbers 18-22 (according to the owner their façades would be retained), while full demolition of the two Victorian-era buildings could proceed—despite there being no immediate site plan for redevelopment. A demolition permit has been issued.
There is an online petition calling on Council to require that the facades of 24-28 King Street East be incorporated into any new structures.
By Pxtl (registered) - website | Posted June 27, 2013 at 11:55:24
I see there's a school on the list... I wonder if we could get Delta on there? Then Hamilton could have the proud distinction of being the city with two entries.
By Hmm...ilton (registered) | Posted June 27, 2013 at 13:46:27 in reply to Comment 89769
We kind of already have two. The HWDSB Education Centre is on their current worse losses page. I know it's not the same as having two on the endangered list but it still speaks volumes for how the city treats our architecture.
By heritage advocate (anonymous) | Posted June 27, 2013 at 12:06:22
Delta may be due for closing but there is a very strong interest in proactively protecting the building. The fact seems to be that the city itself through Sam Merulla has an interest in converting it into some sort of seniors housing. This in itself makes it far less at risk than hundreds of Hamilton heritage properties. I'd actually be far more concerned about King George Elementary School in the school shuffle than Delta even though King George also has citizen activists proactively working with HWSB and the city to prevent its demolition once the Board Maintenance staff relocate to the new facility on the mountain
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