Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Victoria Royce Presbyterian Church city staff report

A reader of the blog Hamish was Kind enough to post the cities link to the Victoria Royce Church ...Approval of Alterations to a Heritage Property ( which is great because it's really difficult to troll thought the cities web site looking for information - thanks)

152 Annette Street (Victoria Royce Church) - Approval of Alterations to a Heritage Property and Intention to Designate, Part IV, Section 29, Ontario Heritage Act

The report recommends that City Council approve the alterations to the heritage property considering it a well considered example of adaptive reuse and incorporation of a heritage building as the focal point of a development project. Moreover city Staff view the project as preserving significant architectural elements of the church with minor modifications that are necessary for its new functional use.

City staff report details about what is happening to the building.

The project converts the existing historic church and the attached school structure to
residential use. The project would also sever the portion of the lot containing the manse
structure from the project site for private sale. The adaptive reuse project would add 34
residential units with 22 below grade parking spaces. The new uses would be fully
contained within the existing building footprint. The project would add only an
approximately 270 square metre one story rooftop penthouse atop the school structure
(with appropriate setback) and a sub-grade parking level below the church.
The project would conserve significant architectural elements of the church and ancillary
school structure. The conservation objectives for the church are herein stated as:
1) Minimal intervention in the masonry of the church building as only eight small
new openings are proposed at the tower.
2) Minimal intervention in the massing of the church building as the project does not
change the building envelope of the church structure
3)Minimal intervention at the roof as disturbance of the roof plane is minimized by
the use of discrete reverse roof dormer elements.
4)Restoration of Masonry
5) Preservation of smaller leaded windows, large arched openings and exterior light
fixtures.
6)Retention of tower entry features adapted to the new residential use
8) Revisions to flashing and rain ware to reduce future deterioration of the masonry
due to identified sources of water flow and infiltration.
9)Although the Interior is not part of the reasons for designation, the project would also:
10)Retain the existing interior hammer beam structure.
Preserve and re-use offsite the stained glass windows, organ and other elements
such as pews, grates, etc.
11)At the ancillary school structure, the project would:
12)Restore the masonry and retain and repair existing stone elements
13)Carefully dismantle and then rebuild the Arts and Crafts entrance vestibule
according to documentation.
14)Approximate retention of existing window openings with minor changes due to
changed type of use occupancy.

Reading through all this this it can be summed up Revitalization both programmatically and physically of the heritage structure is a primary objective of the proposal.

For the community it can be read as a Church being coverted into homes, each person in the community needs to think about that personally as to their view concerning this type of building reuse as it remove the church road feeling in this of Annette St. Yet the Junction does receive additional density in people and homes from this development which is something it greatly needs.

posted bt Robert

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