[DizzyEdge]

Note to moderators: I posted this as a separate thread as I feel it is more important than the regular heritage chit-chat. Let me know if you feel it should go in the heritage thread.

Demolition application in for Brewery site in Inglewood

It has come out that a demolition permit has been applied for at City Hall for demolition of a 'substantial' portion of the former Calgary Brewing & Malting Company site in Inglewood. This is a site of great historic significance, going back to 1892, and indeed there to this day remain historic structures from 1892 through the 1960's. As Inglewood is the birthplace of Calgary, so it must be said that the Brewery is one of the key birthplaces of Calgary industry, established by one of the "Big Four", AE Cross. The information about the extent of the demolition applied for is vague, sources have indicated it is 'substantial' and perhaps involving 2/3 of the built structures on the site, including many of heritage value. The Brewery is a Category A site on the city's Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources. Due to this the city has asked the Province to formally designate the site, and indeed today May 8, 2009 the Ministry of Alberta Culture and Community Spirit issued a Historic Resource Impact Assessment Order to evaluate the site to determine its significance and integrity and to provide recommendations for the documentation, salvage and/or preservation of the site based upon the analysis of its significance and condition. This work must be completed prior to the start of any interventions that may impact the site or its setting.

The Calgary Heritage Initiative Society will be following up with information on action the public can take in the near future.

Statement of Significance prepared by the Province:
"
Calgary Brewing and Malting Co./Molsons Brewery

Description of Historic Place
The Calgary Brewing and Malting Co./Molsons Brewery is a cultural landscape comprising roughly 3 hectares in Calgary’s Alyth/Bonnybrook neighbourhood and encompassing 16 significant buildings, structures, landscape elements, and structural remains. The important structures still extant on the site were erected between 1892 and the early 1930s and include beer-making and storage facilities, office space, and a historic garden.

Heritage Value
The heritage value of the Calgary Brewing and Malting Co./Molsons Brewery lies in its association with the early industrial development of Calgary and in the varied architectural design of its buildings. The site also possesses heritage value for its association with prominent Calgary entrepreneur and politician Alfred Ernest (A.E.) Cross (1861-1932).

In 1875, the North-West Territories Act was passed mandating, among other things, the prohibition of alcohol across the vast reaches of western Canada. Seventeen years later, in 1892, the Territorial Government repealed prohibition. At the time, Calgary was rapidly emerging as a bustling social and economic centre in southern Alberta, and local entrepreneurs believed robust profits could be found in slaking the community’s (now legal) thirsts. In the same year prohibition was repealed, A. E. Cross - one of Calgary’s first modern industrialists and an ambitious entrepreneur - assembled a cadre of financiers to establish the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company, Alberta’s first brewery.

Operations began in 1893 and the enterprise quickly proved successful. Over the succeeding two decades Cross re-invested the company’s profits into growth and diversification. New buildings were constructed, trade was expanded to other provinces, smaller breweries and hotels were acquired, and the company introduced soft drinks and aerated water into its product line. A confident expansionist, Cross was also a relentless modernizer; the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company was one of the first industrial users of natural gas in western Canada.

Between the 1910s and the 1950s, the company’s fortunes ebbed and flowed with World Wars One and Two, Prohibition between 1916 and 1923, and the Great Depression. By 1961, however, the company was beset by insurmountable challenges and was sold to Canadian Breweries. The site would subsequently pass through other owners and operators before ceasing production in 1994.

The significant buildings and structures of the Calgary Brewing and Malting Co./Molsons Brewery date from 1892 until the 1930s and feature an array of architectural visions. The earliest extant building, the 1892 Brew House and Ale Cellars , was designed by Otto Wolf, a Philadelphia-based architect and engineer. Comprising a post and beam structure with timber capitals and an exterior of rusticated sandstone and brick, the building is one of the earliest and most impressive industrial designs and constructions in Calgary.

It was significantly expanded in 1900. In 1904, the company initiated a major expansion. Bernard Barthel, a well-known architect of breweries throughout North America, visited Calgary in that year and provided designs for several new buildings. Though it has undergone significant alterations, the 1905 Brew House reflects Barthel’s aesthetic sensibility: simple and functional with enormous windows, the new building was distinguished by its lack of embellishment and its emphasis upon natural lighting. Its simplified architecture may reflect both Cross’ utilitarian ethic and the influence of the architectural styles of Chicago upon Barthel’s work. The 1905 Smokestack designed by Barthel is also distinctive, featuring corbelled brick at the top and imitating the appearance of a column, complete with base, shaft, and capital. It has been an icon of the site since its construction. Another architectural sensibility is evident in the 1907-08 Administration Building designed by the well-known Calgary architectural firm, Hodgson and Bates. The building is clearly an office structure, distinct from the industrial structures that surround it, and features an elegant marriage of brick walls and sandstone trim. The Administration Building’s most prominent feature is a relief sandstone carving of a buffalo head and horseshoe – the iconic logo of the company.

The 1930s witnessed two significant additions to the site. In the early 1930s, J. B. Cross, continuing his father’s legacy of community service, built a large garden adjacent to the brewery as a make work project for his Depression-era employees. Begun in 1932, the garden eventually included a variety of species of flora, fish hatcheries, waterfalls, and an 1875 Metis cabin brought to the site from near the original Fort Calgary. In the late 1930s, architect George Fordyce designed a pub in the Tudor Revival style that was incorporated into the east portion of the 1892 Brew House and Ale Celllars. The buildings, structures, and landscape elements at the site thus represent an evolution of both industrial facilities and architectural sensibilities.

Source: Alberta Community Development, Heritage Resource Management Branch (File: Des. 2048)

Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of the Calgary Brewing and Malting Co./Molsons Brewery include such features as:

1892 Brew House and Ale Cellars :
- mass, form, and style;
- concrete foundations;
- sandstone and brick walls;
- dimensional lumber floor joists;
- fenestration pattern;
- original windows;
- shallow arches above windows and doors of sandstone voussoirs and keystones;
- modified large timber post and beam structural system and stone fireplace in pub;
- wood subfloor and concrete floors;
- original equipment.

1892 Malt Kiln:
- remaining mass, form, and style.

1892 Original Boiler Room:
- remaining mass, form, and style.

1903 Storage Cellars:
- mass, form, and style;
- brick and sandstone walls.

1905 Wash House (Empty Barrel Storage later):
- mass, form, and style;
- brick and sandstone walls.

1905 Brew House:
- mass, form, and style;
- sandstone and brick facades;
- original windows;
- load-bearing sandstone and brick exterior walls;
- concrete encased steel beams supported on cast iron columns;
- original floor plan.

1905 Malt Kiln:
- remaining mass, form, and style.

1905 Boiler House:
- mass, form, and style;
- sandstone and brick walls;
- concrete roof slab;
- original boiler.

1905 Smokestack:
- mass, form, and style;
- brick construction;
- corbelling and decorative masonry features.

1905 Racking Room Storage (Later Full Keg Cold Storage with North Addition):
- mass, form, and style;
- brick and sandstone walls.

1905 Bottling House (Empty Bottle Storage later):
- mass, form, and style;
- brick and sandstone walls.

1907 Administration Building:
- mass, form, and style;
- sandstone foundation;
- bricks walls and sandstone trim;
- sandstone sculpture of buffalo head;
- original cornerstone;
- fenestration pattern;
- brick corbels below the parapet cap;
- original lath and plaster walls and ceilings (now covered).

1913 Engine Room:
- mass, form, and style;
- brick walls;
- steel beam roof structure
- corbelled band of brick just below the parapet.

1913 Well:
- mass, form, and style;
- brick construction.

1932 Brewery Gardens:
- mass, form, and style;
- irregular flagstone walks;
- concrete ponds, wooden pole railings, wooden plank railings, wooden bridges;
- variety of trees, shrubs, and perennials.

1933 1875 Metis Cabin:
- mass, form, and style.

Theme(s):
Developing Economies: Extraction and Production
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life: Architecture and Design"

-----------------

Excerpt from Historic Walks of Calgary, Harry Sanders:

"Rancher Alfred Ernest Cross headed the group of businessmen who established the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company in 1892, the year prohibition ended in the NWT and licensed liquor sales began. (When prohibition returned to Alberta from 1916-24, the brewery sold soft drinks for domestic consumption but continued brewing beer for export.) The Calgary Brewery marketed its beers using a distinctive buffalo head label. Like other breweries in the province, it built up a chain of hotels where its product could be marketed. By the 1950s, the provincial government came to regard this practice as a monopoly and passed legislation requiring breweries to sell their hotels by 1967.

Besides its capacity as one of Inglewood's largest employers, the brewery was also an important component in the district's social and sporting life. It provided Depression relief work through the development of the Brewery gardens, fish hatchery, and trout ponds. The Calgary Brewery Cabin, a Metis or settler cabin originally located near the Hunt House, was relocated to the Brewery gardens in the 1930s as a relic of Calgary's origins. Further community endeavors included the Horseman's Hall of Fame museum and the salt-water aquarium that opened to the public in the 1960s. The museum closed in 1975, and the aquarium was shipped to Montreal.

The Calgary Brewing and Malting Company was sold to Canadian Breweries Ltd. in 1961, and, in 1989, it was taken over by Molson's Breweries. The plant was closed permanently in 1994."

-----------------

All photos care of www.glenbow.org
1897
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc4/q/na-2171-2.jpg

1905/1906 (much if these buildings still exist under newer additions)
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc4/v/na-2307-38.jpg

1924-1927 - Calgary Malting & Brewing Company Stampede beer garden
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc6/n/na-3164-384.jpg

1925 - Guy Weadick, founder of the Calgary Stampede, AE Cross, one of the "Big Four" Stampede financiers, and "Hoot" Gibson, film star
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc3/r/na-1483-4.jpg

1932 - Men working on the Brewery Gardens during the Great Depression
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arcm/13/a/m-9009-420-7.jpg

1935 - Brewery Gardens
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arcm/13/a/m-9009-420-16.jpg

1935 - Brewery Gardens
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arcm/13/a/m-9009-420-19.jpg

1940s
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arcm/13/a/m-9009-421-14.jpg

1945
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc4/g/na-1846-19.jpg

1954 - Fish Hatcheries
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc9/h/na-5600-7499b.jpg

1956 - Mrs. A. E. Cross being presented with flowers at laying of new office building at Calgary brewery.
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc6/n/na-3164-296.jpg

1957 - Distinctive Buffalo head label (1920's bottle and larger 1957 bottle)
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc9/l/na-5600-8171.jpg

1960 - Opening of the aquarium
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc6/n/na-3164-308.jpg

1960 - James B Cross speaking at the opening
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc6/n/na-3164-317.jpg

1960 - Premier Ernest Manning and James B. Cross at opening of aquarium, Calgary Brewing and Malting Company.
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc6/n/na-3164-318.jpg

1960 - Premier Ernest Manning cutting ribbon at opening of aquarium, Calgary Brewing and Malting Company.
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc6/n/na-3164-320.jpg

1960s - Calgary Safety Roundup and School Patrol children receiving prizes, Calgary, Alberta. The children are holding soft drinks made by the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company.
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arcm/13/a/m-9009-427-3.jpg

1960s - Decorated for Christmas
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arcm/13/a/m-9009-428-2.jpg

1972 - People watching trout in the Brewery Gardens
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc11/d/na-2864-21533.jpg

1972
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc11/z/na-4476-1017.jpg

1972 - Malt Room
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc11/z/na-4476-1031.jpg

1972 - Horseman's Hall of Fame
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc11/z/na-4476-1040.jpg
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc11/z/na-4476-1042.jpg
http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc11/z/na-4476-1047.jpg

http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc7/l/na-3884-7.jpg



Some examples of brewery redevelopments:

http://www.firstpathway.com/projects/pabst-brewery-redevelopment

http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com (National historic site in Toronto)

http://www.amarchitects.com/redtruckbrewery.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/4464862/Seagram-Lofts-Waterloo-Ontario

http://www.kaufmanlofts.com/


And of course the nearby Ramsay Exchange project is a good example of former industrial put to use in a mixed use new development:
http://www.ramsayexchange.com/

[agent_imperial]

Great info... thanks! I never knew that there was so much history to that site.

I hope that these historical structures can be saved and put to good use.

[shogged]

i'll gladly chain myself to this structure to prevent it from going away! I couldn't imagine a drive through Inglewood without having this sucker to look at!

[wild wild west]

It would be extremely disappointing if this were to go through, particularly as we know that the site would likely remain vacant for however many years until market conditions improved. I would like to see an adaptive re-use of this building. Glad to see the City and Province aren't rolling over just yet.

[You Need A Thneed]

This would be a good one to have an architectural competition to restore the place, and figure out what to do with everything.

[DizzyEdge]

It's been mentioned by a number of people, myself included, and I believe the prez of the Inglewood community association that the site, with the adjacent empty sites to the west would make a great ACAD campus.

[Calgarian]

Should definitely keep it.

[lineman]

dizzy you should make this a facebook group to help spread awareness of this impending tragedy.

[DizzyEdge]

At the moment we're sort of monitoring what is going to happen as far as the province, but we do have various actions being planned should things seem to go the wrong way.

[1ajs]

yikes what kinda shape is the roofs on the complex are they leaking ect...

[Distill3d]

i'll gladly chain myself to this structure to prevent it from going away! I couldn't imagine a drive through Inglewood without having this sucker to look at!

I'm with you 100%!

[You Need A Thneed]

yikes what kinda shape is the roofs on the complex are they leaking ect...

Likely, but they'd all be replaced anyway.

[DizzyEdge]

Added more old industrial reuse links at the bottom.

[Surrealplaces]

Some great info Dizzy! I had no idea the Brewery had so much history. I would really hate to see them tear down this thing. Some of the newer parts don't hold much hertigae value, but the older ones do. It would be so cool to incroporate the old portions in with a new development.


Have either newspapers mentioned anything about this?

[DizzyEdge]

^ Not yet, although I'm kinda hoping things stay quiet for another couple days so we can talk to a few other organizations.

[DizzyEdge]

One thing I noticed, the windows in the building to the left are HUGE, and make the structures look a lot smaller than they really are. I've put in an arrow pointing to a man to give some scale.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/4788/tinyperson.jpg

[Stang]

Although I knew that the site itself is an important piece of Calgary's history, I had absolutely no idea that there were so many buildings with historical significance. Thanks so much for enlightening me - I'll be keeping an eye on this issue now.

[agent_imperial]

From the Calgary Herald. As always many of the of the comments on the site are brutal to read... some people really don't seem to care about anything that isn't in their own backyard.



Ingelwood brewery saved from demolition...for now

Province to assess historical significance, but building could come down regardless



The Inglewood Brewery in Calgary, Alberta on June 10, 2009 sits empty. It has been spared demolition by the provincial government in order for a historical assessment to take place.
Photograph by: Leah Hennel, Calgary Herald
CALGARY- A Calgary financier’s bid to demolish some of the oldest buildings at the original 1892 Calgary Brewery has been halted by the provincial government as it assesses the structures’ historical significant.

City Hall lists the Inglewood brewery as one of Calgary’s most significant heritage sites, and the buildings rank as some of its oldest remaining industrial plants.

But since it’s private property — owned by major landowner and Calfrac Well Services chairman Ronald Mathison, no less — such heritage status couldn’t legally block an application to tear down buildings that are 104, 106 and 117 years old as early as mid-June.

This week, the province’s Culture ministry essentially stopped that hourglass by ordering a historic resources impact assessment to thoroughly study the value and structural integrity of the the old brew house, boilers and cellars that face the wrecking ball.

“Anybody who owns a historic building that’s anything over 100 years old, you’ve got to know that you’re not just able to knock them down without having Alberta Historical Resources Foundation take a look at it,” Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett said today in an interview. However, he didn't say how far the government would go to block the owners' wishes, or how long the assessment may take.

It’s unclear what Mathison’s plans are for the site should the demolition go ahead, although many newer buildings, the old brewery gardens and the 1875 Metis cabin on the historic grounds will remain standing under the plans. Mathison and other representatives for the site could not be reached immediately for comment.

“It’s really important to buy some time,” Darryl Cariou, the city’s senior heritage planner, said of the demolition proposal and the province’s review.

The Calgary Brewery and Malting Co. was constructed in 1892, the same year the Northwest Territories government repealed prohibition across most of Western Canada. From the sandstone and brick structures ultimately flowed the hugely successful prodcuer of Calgary Export beer, well before the factory was taken over by Molson and closed by the beer giant in 1994.

The brewery wasn’t only among Inglewood’s largest employers, but it also hosted a popular gardens, saltwater gardens and a horseman’s museum.

The company’s founder adds to the heritage — it was A.E. Cross, one of the Big Four founders of the Calgary Stampede and a Conservative MLA before Alberta was founded.

Heritage advocates expressed hope the century-old buildings will be saved, reasoning the site would be ideal for a mixed-use development that incorporates the historical architecture.

A major Calgary architectural firm had been working for years with the owner on such a concept on the brewery grounds, but hadn't discussed them with Mathison's people in a year and were unaware of the demolition proposal until contacted by the media.

jmarkusoff@theherald.canwest.com

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

[Riise]

It's been mentioned by a number of people, myself included, and I believe the prez of the Inglewood community association that the site, with the adjacent empty sites to the west would make a great ACAD campus.

For some reason I always thought that it would make for a pretty neat Hotel and Casino. I'd hate to see the place demolished, even if it wasn't a Hotel and Casino it could find another use.

[wild wild west]

From the Calgary Herald. As always many of the of the comments on the site are brutal to read... some people really don't seem to care about anything that isn't in their own backyard.



Ingelwood brewery saved from demolition...for now

Province to assess historical significance, but building could come down regardless



The Inglewood Brewery in Calgary, Alberta on June 10, 2009 sits empty. It has been spared demolition by the provincial government in order for a historical assessment to take place.
Photograph by: Leah Hennel, Calgary Herald
CALGARY- A Calgary financier’s bid to demolish some of the oldest buildings at the original 1892 Calgary Brewery has been halted by the provincial government as it assesses the structures’ historical significant.

City Hall lists the Inglewood brewery as one of Calgary’s most significant heritage sites, and the buildings rank as some of its oldest remaining industrial plants.

But since it’s private property — owned by major landowner and Calfrac Well Services chairman Ronald Mathison, no less — such heritage status couldn’t legally block an application to tear down buildings that are 104, 106 and 117 years old as early as mid-June.

This week, the province’s Culture ministry essentially stopped that hourglass by ordering a historic resources impact assessment to thoroughly study the value and structural integrity of the the old brew house, boilers and cellars that face the wrecking ball.

“Anybody who owns a historic building that’s anything over 100 years old, you’ve got to know that you’re not just able to knock them down without having Alberta Historical Resources Foundation take a look at it,” Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett said today in an interview. However, he didn't say how far the government would go to block the owners' wishes, or how long the assessment may take.

It’s unclear what Mathison’s plans are for the site should the demolition go ahead, although many newer buildings, the old brewery gardens and the 1875 Metis cabin on the historic grounds will remain standing under the plans. Mathison and other representatives for the site could not be reached immediately for comment.

“It’s really important to buy some time,” Darryl Cariou, the city’s senior heritage planner, said of the demolition proposal and the province’s review.

The Calgary Brewery and Malting Co. was constructed in 1892, the same year the Northwest Territories government repealed prohibition across most of Western Canada. From the sandstone and brick structures ultimately flowed the hugely successful prodcuer of Calgary Export beer, well before the factory was taken over by Molson and closed by the beer giant in 1994.

The brewery wasn’t only among Inglewood’s largest employers, but it also hosted a popular gardens, saltwater gardens and a horseman’s museum.

The company’s founder adds to the heritage — it was A.E. Cross, one of the Big Four founders of the Calgary Stampede and a Conservative MLA before Alberta was founded.

Heritage advocates expressed hope the century-old buildings will be saved, reasoning the site would be ideal for a mixed-use development that incorporates the historical architecture.

A major Calgary architectural firm had been working for years with the owner on such a concept on the brewery grounds, but hadn't discussed them with Mathison's people in a year and were unaware of the demolition proposal until contacted by the media.

jmarkusoff@theherald.canwest.com

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald


Glad we've bought some time...but it is ridiculous that the owners would consider demolition without even disclosing what they plan to do with the site.

[DizzyEdge]

I expect more media coverage tomorrow.

[Blue_Cypress]

This absolutely cannot be allowed to happen! That complex is incredible! Too much has been done already!

[Ramsayfarian]

Trouble is brewing for one of Calgary's oldest buildings. Only the actions of one minister has kept it from the bulldozers

The news would have you choking on your beer, if Molson's hadn't shut the doors of Calgary's oldest brewery, way back in the dark days of 1994.

Indeed, the eastern brewer's decision to abandon a landmark once as prominent as the Calgary Tower, is the main reason the 117-year-old historical site is threatened with demolition at all.

Calgarians can't be expected to care, when they have no idea what they should be caring about.

And so, the request to bulldoze buildings dating back to 1892 has been made, in a demolition order filed with the City of Calgary.

If not for the remarkable intervention of a provincial minister, Inglewood's beloved brewery might soon be history, following countless Calgary historical treasures onto the garbage heap of our disposable past.

Of course, the industrial relic built by A.E. Cross may yet fall to a developer's wrecking ball, but not before Alberta Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett has a chance to measure the value of the old sandstone, brick and mortar.

"There's a recognition, that for a province that's so young, we don't have many buildings that are a hundred years old, and if we destroy all of them, we'll be wondering where our heritage of significance is," said Blackett.

"We'll be left with 30- and 40-year-old buildings and lose a lot of our character."

Blackett said he will no longer allow buildings so old to be destroyed without a provincial assessment.

Those who have watched beautiful relics of Calgary's history ripped down for new retail space, condominiums and even parking space will view Blackett's unexpected interference as a miracle.

The provincial government can, if it chooses to, declare any structure a historic resource, preventing the owner from altering it or harming it in any way.

In Calgary at least, it's almost unheard of that a minister would even consider standing in the way of a private property owner's wishes.

But Blackett says he'll do what's right, and if the brewery is worth protecting, the province won't shy away from saving it.

In the past, it seemed nothing could stop a developer determined to milk a piece of land for every penny of profit.

Owned by Ronald Mathison of Matco Investments, the brewery site is apparently slated for a combination of retail and residential, though Mathison didn't return calls.

One only has to look at the gaping hole downtown, where Penny Lane once stood, for a recent example of loss.

Penny Lane, at least, was a bustling shopping stop filled with restaurants, bars and human activity.

The Inglewood brewery, all but derelict behind its iron 9 Ave. fence, has meant nothing to Calgarians since Molson pulled the plug.

Not that the former home of Calgary Beer was at its heyday, even then.

To really understand what the brewery once was, you'd have to rewind to the 1970s.

That's when the immaculate gardens in front of the beer-making factory, opened in the 1930s, last bloomed with flowers and trees, while waterfalls, ponds and streams teemed with trout.

The brewery wasn't just about beer either -- a world-class aquarium and the Horseman's Hall of Fame museum were housed inside.

Find a postcard of Calgary dating back 40 or 50 years, and there's a good chance the brewery will be featured.

Viewing the graffiti-stained, shabby complex now, you'd never guess that underneath, some of Calgary's oldest buildings are preserved.

The demolition request includes the 1892 Brew House and Ale Cellars, considered the heart of the original Calgary Brewery and Malting Co.

Somewhere inside, there's a brew-house bar rivalling the ambiance of Europe's finest, with a grand stone fireplace and heavy wooden beams spanning a vaulted ceiling.

"To the average Calgarian, it may not be the prettiest building, or the sexiest, but even if it was the ugliest building in the city, the amount of history alone means it deserves protecting," said Chris Edwards, spokesman for the Calgary Heritage Initiative.

Edwards and his group are the civilian watchdogs for local history, and he says they are determined not to let the brewery fall, by helping to publicize its value to Calgarians.

"Our main focus right now is to draw attention to the issue."


http://www.calgarysun.com/news/columnists/michael_platt/2009/06/11/9760151-sun.html

[Wooster]

^ nice job DizzyEdge!

[jeffwhit]

People should look over at Skyscrapercity to see the redevelopment of the historic Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen. It's a project not disimilar from Ramsay Exchange. This needs to be preserved and repurposed.

[O-tacular]

That building always makes me think of that Bob and Doug McKenzie movie Strange Brew.

This travesty cannot be allowed to happen.

[Zilla]

Here's the Herald article:

http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=23097aee-daee-4bbf-aa20-6671f06f409c

[Fiveway]

Apparently I'm going to have to go on another letter-writing spree. I can hear the landowners retort already--"those buildings are old and crumbling, there's nothing left to restore. Most of the historical significance was destroyed in earlier renovations."

I've watched so much of Calgary's built history destroyed that I'm almost immune to it. But it's great that Blackett stepped in and ordered an assessment. That still might not stop it though. Anyone remember the apartment building beside the church on 13th avenue and 4th st. that 'accidentally' burnt down?

[wild wild west]

It's good to see the Culture Minister actually stepping in and taking a stand...his predecessors were remiss in this regard.

[MarkL]

Sell the site to Paul Vickers. Breast implants, beer, history. It might actually make me go visit.

[DizzyEdge]

History and photo thread

http://www.calgaryheritage.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=1696

[Riise]

Historic Calgary Brewery's future In Doubt

July 16, 2009
Calgary Herald
Jason Markusoff

CALGARY - As heritage buffs and community leaders meet today to raise alarm about the proposed partial demolition of one of Alberta's oldest industrial plants, they're baffled the site owner still hasn't explained his plans for the old Calgary Brewery site.

Calgary financier Ron Mathison's bid to demolish some brewery buildings that are up to 117 years old has been postponed by a provincial historic resource assessment that he must pay for.

Meanwhile, he has not responded to questions from the Herald or others wanting to know what will be developed in place of the structures.

"Speculation has ranged from a big box store--which of course puts the fear of God into the Inglewood Community Association--to some kind of townhouse-condo development," said Tom Hamp, president of the Chinook Country Historical Society.

The Inglewood association and heritage groups will hold a town hall tonight to discuss the site's importance to not only Calgary's industrial history, but also its founding by A. E. Cross, who also co-founded the Calgary Stampede. They will also remind Calgarians the site was once a major visitor draw with a garden, museum and aquarium, although it's been mostly fenced off and vacant for more than a decade.

Some of the buildings slated for demolition at 9th Avenue and 15th Street S. E. are sandstone or brick structures built between 1892 and 1905, when Alberta became a province. But they're either covered by chipping white plaster, obscured by newer buildings, or encased in sheet metal.

Gian-Carlo Carra of the Inglewood association has long had hopes for a redevelopment of the brewery site that would spruce up the heritage buildings. But he said he's faced indifference from Mathison, under whose ownership the site's front gates have rusted over, and the aging plant has, by the claims of his own demolition permit to the city, deteriorated. "It's now a hole at the geographical centre of our community," Carra said.

It's unknown whether Mathison will attend the town hall, which starts at 7 p. m. at the Inglewood Community Association Hall on 24th Avenue S. E.


© Copyright The Calgary Herald (http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Historic+Calgary+brewery+future+doubt/1796127/story.html)

[Riise]

Even if this site is saved from demolition I fear that Mathison will use the Deteriorate and Demolish tactic; letting the site sit empty deteriorating to the point beyond restoration where demolishing it is the only viable option.

[entheosfog]

I'm in town for the next few days and I saw a news report on this on CTV.
Go Bob!

[korzym]

The owners of the land are entitled to do what they want IMO. I wouldn't mind seeing one of those safeway/condo mixed developments. Mind you it would suck to see a plain walmart go up. That property is such an eye sore, the sooner those disgusting buildings get torn down the better. We might have something here for that area, you have those condos built by the bird sanctuary, put in some decent condos where the brewery is and voila that area has some momentum.

[Wooster]

^did you even read the article? There's probably a good chance the heritage value of these buildings can be restored by removing the materials put over top the original brick and sandstone materials. It is this metal and other crappy materials that make them 'ugly'. If this is a possibility, the developer would be smart to try and incorporate it into an redevelopment of the site. Heritage and the character that goes with it is worth its weight in gold for the value it brings to real estate.

Beyond that, there's also a very important social history to this site and these buildings - they are some of the oldest buildings in Calgary.

When redeveloped it would be great to have something like a grocery store. Really anywhere a grocery store can be developed in Inglewood would be a good thing.

[DizzyEdge]

Just got back from the meeting, it was P A C K E D.

[O-tacular]

D-bags like Mathison are the reason Calgary is so full of ugly parking lots. I wish scum like him would just move to Texas and flip some houses instead.

[DizzyEdge]

^did you even read the article? There's probably a good chance the heritage value of these buildings can be restored by removing the materials put over top the original brick and sandstone materials. It is this metal and other crappy materials that make them 'ugly'. If this is a possibility, the developer would be smart to try and incorporate it into an redevelopment of the site. Heritage and the character that goes with it is worth its weight in gold for the value it brings to real estate.

Beyond that, there's also a very important social history to this site and these buildings - they are some of the oldest buildings in Calgary.

When redeveloped it would be great to have something like a grocery store. Really anywhere a grocery store can be developed in Inglewood would be a good thing.

It's ok Wooster, critical thought is sooo much more strenuous than kneejerk reactions.

[kap384]

:previous: :jester:

[1ajs]

Just got back from the meeting, it was P A C K E D.
so?

[h0twired]

I think people should reserve judgement until after the plans for the site are revealed.

[Wooster]

^ Well demolition permits have been submitted, which deserves some judgement.

[DizzyEdge]

I think people should reserve judgement until after the plans for the site are revealed.

No plans have been revealed, the owner has not responded to any communications, and at the meeting last night Joe Ceci revealed that the owner told him that he has no plans for the site other than the demolition.

[DizzyEdge]

What do you think should be done with the former Calgary Brewery site in Inglewood?

This will likely only be up today, so check the front page of CTV and vote in the poll!

http://calgary.ctv.ca/

[MichaelS]

No plans have been revealed, the owner has not responded to any communications, and at the meeting last night Joe Ceci revealed that the owner told him that he has no plans for the site other than the demolition.

Was the reasons for demolition metioned at all? Is he attempting to prevent a liability issue by demolishing the old buildings? Doesn't make sense to knock them down simply for the sake of it, as it would be costly.

[DizzyEdge]

Was the reasons for demolition metioned at all? Is he attempting to prevent a liability issue by demolishing the old buildings? Doesn't make sense to knock them down simply for the sake of it, as it would be costly.

This I believe is what his reasoning is.

[DizzyEdge]

Another Poll at CBC:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/07/17/calgary-inglewood-brewery-demolition-meeting.html

[cranium]

I'ts possible the owner wants to make the property more salable. It may be worth more without the building than with.

[korzym]

Are you guys serious? You think the owner is going to make the worst decision no matter what? He's got millions at stake, obviously he's going to do what he can to increase the value of his property. Let's be honest, the current condition is such a dump you can't go wrong with new development.

Your pretty big hypocrites to always be whining about NIMBYs and here you are coming in and telling someone what to do with their property

[Wooster]

Your pretty big hypocrites to always be whining about NIMBYs and here you are coming in and telling someone what to do with their property

It's not like people can actually ever do 'whatever they want' with their property. We have zoning, urban design rules, density restrictions, use restrictions, height restrictions, setback requirements, open space requirements, building codes etc etc etc. Should the public not have the right to any of these requirements either? We have these things to ensure the public good. Something of real heritage value also has a public good, which does deserve consideration for preservation where possible. It's worth giving the issue light and pushing toward a solution that can be a win-win for the developer and the larger public. It's not nimbyism, nor hypocritical.

[bob1954]

Looks like more restrictions than incentives to build! I would think it would be less restrictions..... sorry, wrong thread!

[DizzyEdge]

Are you guys serious? You think the owner is going to make the worst decision no matter what? He's got millions at stake, obviously he's going to do what he can to increase the value of his property. Let's be honest, the current condition is such a dump you can't go wrong with new development.

Your pretty big hypocrites to always be whining about NIMBYs and here you are coming in and telling someone what to do with their property

I'm assuming you'd be fine if someone built an oil refinery or abattoir right next to your house, I mean.. people should be able to do what they want with their valuable property right?

Also, please let us know the details you know of the site's current condition, it would be very useful to get the detailed survey info you have that others do not.

[O-tacular]

Sober second thought on losing a brewery
Paula Arab, Calgary Herald: Thursday, July 23, 2009
You don't have to be drunk on sentiment to realize Calgary's oldest brewery is overflowing with heritage value worth saving.

It's only thanks to the intervention of Alberta Cultural Minister Lindsay Blackett that the owner's application to demolish a majority of the buildings on the former Molson brewery site has been stopped, at least for now.

Blackett used the authority of the provincial heritage act to order a historic assessment of the 117-year-old site that had a crucial role in this city's early industrial development.

Rarely does the province use its power to override an owner's wishes. The mere fact Blackett is willing to do so indicates all that could be lost if this once-prominent landmark is allowed to be bulldozed.

One doesn't need a historic assessment to understand how it is significant to Calgary and Alberta.

"Let me count the ways," says the city's senior heritage planner, Darryl Cariou.

"It's a really important part of the community's history. People still have attachment to the site. Either their fathers or grandfathers worked there."

The three-hectare property in the city's east end began its life as the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company, opening in 1893, the year after prohibition was repealed. It was Alberta's first brewery and an instant success.

A. E. Cross was the founder, himself an important rancher and one of the city's first modern industrialists. The brewery was one of the first industrial users of natural gas in the West. It survived another prohibition era, between 1916 and 1923, and the Great Depression. By 1961, it was finally sold to Canadian Breweries. Its most recent incarnation was producing Molson beer until 1994.

The future? Fuzzy. The current owner refuses to discuss his plans. Calgary financier Ron Mathison has failed to meet with the community or talk with the press. The only indication of what is planned can be found on the application for permission to demolish a number of key buildings.

Nor has he responded to the minister's request for an assessment.

It's shaping up to be quite the brawl. Or a showdown, at the very least.

Blackett could well be pushed into a corner.

Technically, if Blackett deems the site is of sufficient historical significance to the province, and its preservation is in the public interest, he can have it designated a historic resource. That means the owner can't alter anything--not even replace a broken window --without adhering to a strict set of rules and regulations.

Such designation gives the building the necessary protection it would need to ensure its preservation.

The city can't designate a heritage site without offering compensation to the owner, which makes it difficult to achieve without the owner's consent.

The province, however, can.

Let's hope it doesn't reach that point. Still, it's refreshing to see someone in power stand up to save old buildings, recognizing that their esthetic value is deeper than monetary.

We have allowed far too many beautiful relics of our history to be ripped down so that condos and towers could be erected in their place, all so that a quick buck could be made.

The brewery site would be an ideal combination retail/residential project. Whatever grants that are available should be provided to conserve the buildings. As well, the city must co-operate in rezoning the land for mixed uses, and clearing the bureaucratic hurdles that usually stand in the way of such projects.

If done properly, this heritage development has the potential to offer far more value in the end to everyone, including the owner. It's not always measured in dollar value.

Take Toronto's Distillery District, now known as the hippest neighbourhood in the city. It is a potential model for how the Inglewood brewery site could be redeveloped. The 13-acre space in Toronto's downtown is now home to the largest collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America. It houses numerous restaurants, trendy cafes, retail space and cultural art space, all within 10 blocks. It also still brews beer for the enjoyment of the consuming public. The area is quite the mecca for tourists, locals and artists alike. It's a huge draw for the film industry, which refers to it as Hollywood North. Countless blockbuster movies, television shows, commercials and music videos are filmed there.

That same potential exists in Calgary. We could call it the Brewery Block.

Or, better yet, a return to the name of the community once known as Brewery Flats.

Some say a brewery will never reopen on the site. Perhaps not on the scale of Molson, but possibly a small microbrewery with a retail component?

Put it in the 1905 Brew House that was designed by Bernard Barthel, a well-known Chicago architect of breweries throughout North America.

He visited Calgary in 1904 and provided the design for a new brew house. It reflects his simple and functional style, enormous windows, lack of embellishment and emphasis upon natural lighting. Yet, that building is one of a number slated for demolition.

Calgarians need to give this sober thought, and fight to save this forgotten treasure.

parab@theherald.canwest.com



At least the media is on the right side on this issue.

[Fiveway]

Global just did a one-sided bit that basically talked about how neglected the place is and how much of a danger that is to the community. Here's the most quotable bit "...too old to keep."

[freeweed]

Global just did a one-sided bit that basically talked about how neglected the place is and how much of a danger that is to the community. Here's the most quotable bit "...too old to keep."

Err, that's one way of viewing it.

They also pointed out how the majority of the site (the smokestack, the largest and most visible buildings) are going to be saved, regardless. The owner wants to demolish a few of the worse off buildings. The ones that may be beyond repair.

Then again, if this gets heritage recognition the province pays for the restore anyway, so just WAIT until the public finds out about millions of tax dollars being spent on restoring old buildings.

[Ferreth]

From Calgary Herald, July 29, 2009, 4:14pm (http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Calgary+Brewery+safety+risk+must+come+down+site+owner/1841340/story.html):

CALGARY- Some of the century-old Calgary Brewery’s original sandstone facade and timber columns are still standing and in decent or better-than-decent condition, but the owner’s company warns that erosion, moisture and neglect mean the buildings will likely fall apart themselves unless they’re demolished first.

After weeks of silence from site owner Ron Mathison — and criticism from Inglewood residents and heritage advocates — a hired consultant led reporters and cameras on a tour of the buildings he wants to tear down, some of which date to the brewery’s 1892 opening.

Mathison, a leading Calgary financier, still has no plans for using the unused portion of the brewery grounds after the proposed demolition, said consultant Eileen Stan. But he’s worried the buildings pose a safety risk, and must be torn down.

The provincial government has halted the demolition bid by ordering a historic resource impact assessment, which will determine whether the buildings have enough structural integrity and heritage value to require preservation.

But to argue the case to the public, Mathison’s consultant showed off the site’s good, bad and ugly.

In the 1905 ale house, snow collapsed part of the roof last winter and concrete debris still lay all over. Parts of the 1892 ale house seemed sturdy, with wood columns and caps still holding, but others were decaying and steel beams had to prop up the ceilings.

“The wood timbers are basically just rotting away,” Stan told reporters in the dank, unlit brew house.

“Some of this is water damage, and some of this is time.”

Mathison bought the brewery site in a 2000 bankruptcy auction, six years after Molson closed the plant that had been making Calgary Beer for generations. When he acquired it, at least one of buildings had been unheated for years.

Various brewing firms that owned it expanded the site by constructing buildings right up against other buildings, meaning that if they demolish one weakened structure, some other adjacent ones must come down with it. Several 50- and 100-year-old buildings will remain standing under the demolition plans, including the old smokestack.

Ald. Joe Ceci, who has also toured the site, said it’s tough for non-experts to judge the site’s structural integrity upon touring its dark rooms, without understanding what can and can’t be preserved.

“Without that information here, we’re just casting our eyes at peeling paint and crumbling walls saying, ‘Euugghh, that’s terrible,’” the ward’s alderman said.

However, he said that with enough money, any site can likely be preserved. He hopes the owner redevelops the site as with residences and commercial developments that incorporate some of the existing heritage architecture.

Mathison does lease out some of the buildings on-site to a wine shop, offices and a storage company, but the buildings he wants demolished have been long vacant.

Stan said Mathison has already spent around $1 million to keep the buildings from collapsing, and would spend another $1 million to do the complex demolition, which includes careful removal of giant brew tanks.

I'm waiting to see what the historic resource impact assessment has to say about the proposed demolition. I know a couple of people who were working in the brewery up until it closed, and they both echo this tour's observation that there is a lot of historic value that has been altered beyond saving already, and/or is too run down to save.

[ummagumma66]

I'd like them to actually use it, thing I want torn down is the Blackfoot Truckstop. we need a grocery store in that end of Inglewood, and besides I'm tired of the "lot lizards" using the bus stop as their own personal shelter.

[DizzyEdge]

Global just did a one-sided bit that basically talked about how neglected the place is and how much of a danger that is to the community. Here's the most quotable bit "...too old to keep."

Yes it's a great showcase of how well Matco investments maintains it's properties.

[DizzyEdge]

by the way, re: too rundown to save, too old to keep:

Before:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/63/229395349_917de5610c.jpg?v=0

http://downriverdetroit.net/waynecounty/detroit/brushpark/020.jpg

After:

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/6194/moorieestatesoe6.jpg

[bob1954]

That's some restoration!! I wish more of this can be done everyere. We're loosing to much history!

[DizzyEdge]

What people just don't seem to get, is random condo/retail development w/sandstone 100+ yr old buildings intermingled is way more valuable than random condo/retail development.

[DizzyEdge]

Old industrial sites are useless:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/herojh/
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/175/404168468_b38f7db02a_o.jpg

[Fiveway]

Old brewery not worth saving, says minister

Despite public lobbying, Alberta's culture minister seems disinclined to grant heritage status to parts of the old Calgary Brewery.

Some Inglewood-area residents have been lobbying city and provincial officials to have some of the old brewery buildings given heritage status, so that they could be restored. But the minister responsible seemed skeptical on Thursday.

Lindsay Blackett, the provincial minister of culture and community spirit, spent more than an hour on a private tour of the site Thursday morning.

After having a first-hand look, Blackett said that while he appreciates there is some historical value in parts of some of the old buildings, there is not enough left to be worth saving.

"To even consider trying to refurbish that is huge dollars," he said. "Who's going to pay for that? I wouldn't want to impose that on anybody, and I certainly wouldn't expect the taxpayers of Alberta to foot that cost"

Blackett says most of the main parts of the old brewery, particularly the metal-sided towers, are in such poor shape they should be knocked down simply from a safety point of view.

Blackett says he will get experts to the site as soon as possible to conduct a heritage assessment of the site, but the minister says he would like to see the derelict buildings razed before another heavy snowfall causes more damage.

In May, the property owner and developer Ron Mathison applied for a demolition permit, which would allow him to demolish structures occupying about 100,000 square feet of the 500,000-square-foot site because of health and safety concerns.

But the Alberta government has ordered a heritage assessment to determine whether some or all of the buildings should be saved because they may be historically significant.

That puts Mathison's demolition plans on hold until the assessment is complete.

From cbc.ca

[DizzyEdge]

^ We got the heads up on this. What's interesting is the metal clad parts are mostly the newest parts of the brewery, and also he orders a professional assessment but then from a single walk through he declares the whole place needs to be torn down without waiting for it?... perhaps someone from above in his party has given him some orders?

[DizzyEdge]

From just a few weeks ago:

"“Anybody who owns a historic building that’s anything over 100 years old, you’ve got to know that you’re not just able to knock them down without having Alberta Historical Resources Foundation take a look at it,” Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett said today in an interview. "


"Of course, the industrial relic built by A.E. Cross may yet fall to a developer's wrecking ball, but not before Alberta Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett has a chance to measure the value of the old sandstone, brick and mortar.

"There's a recognition, that for a province that's so young, we don't have many buildings that are a hundred years old, and if we destroy all of them, we'll be wondering where our heritage of significance is," said Blackett.

"We'll be left with 30- and 40-year-old buildings and lose a lot of our character."

Blackett said he will no longer allow buildings so old to be destroyed without a provincial assessment."

[Ferreth]

Lindsay Blackett (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindsay_Blackett), from Wikipedia (I'm open to a better source if someone has one)

So, from his background, he has no grounds to give an informed opinion on the structural integrity or cost of saving the buildings. That "expert evaluation" just became moot to me, as I'll be wondering if any concurrence with the minister's opinion is due to political pressure.

Last hope is the public tour - I'm hoping there are some real experts along on that one, and they get complete access to the building.

[WhipperSnapper]

"To even consider trying to refurbish that is huge dollars," he said. "Who's going to pay for that? I wouldn't want to impose that on anybody, and I certainly wouldn't expect the taxpayers of Alberta to foot that cost"


C'mon! There many, many organizations with the fundraising capabilites that would gladly turn this into some cultural project

[Fiveway]

Kent Herr (pretty sure I went to high school with that guy. Vicious children that we were made short work of that name.) calls out Lindsay Blackett (http://bit.ly/13bzll) in the Herald.

[wild wild west]

Really disappointed in Lindsay Blackett's flip-flop on this issue. I had hopes that he would be one of Calgary's better MLA's, but this is disappointing.

This "knocking down for safety reasons" argument is a load of crap. Our oldest buildings are not much more than 100 years old. Comparatively, in older US cities, buildings hundreds of years old have been restored and re-used. In Europe, buildings that were bombed to the point of being empty shells were restored to their former glory after WW2. I absolutely do not accept the "safety" argument - it's an utter cop-out, and particularly inexcusable in a city that lacks much historical fabric to begin with.

Re: Kent Herr - I agree with him, but wow, what were his parents thinking?

[DizzyEdge]

Really disappointed in Lindsay Blackett's flip-flop on this issue. I had hopes that he would be one of Calgary's better MLA's, but this is disappointing.

This "knocking down for safety reasons" argument is a load of crap. Our oldest buildings are not much more than 100 years old. Comparatively, in older US cities, buildings hundreds of years old have been restored and re-used. In Europe, buildings that were bombed to the point of being empty shells were restored to their former glory after WW2. I absolutely do not accept the "safety" argument - it's an utter cop-out, and particularly inexcusable in a city that lacks much historical fabric to begin with.

Re: Kent Herr - I agree with him, but wow, what were his parents thinking?


Unlike Mr Blackett I'm not going to prejudge the HRIA. I'm not going to sit here and say that none of the 6 buildings that they want to demolish need to be. I'm sure they all need some costly work, and perhaps some to the point of being far to great a sum.. But this is what the HRIA is to determine, and I wouldn't be surprised if it came up with something along the lines that 4 of them need immediate work or they will need to come down in the future, and that perhaps 2 are done for already.. but who knows, I'm not a historian/structural engineer expert, and neither is Blackett. He should wait for the HRIA and then proceed accordingly.

[freeweed]

I had hopes that he would be one of Calgary's better MLA's, but this is disappointing.

I did until that education bill. Listening to him talk about that, I realized just how little he understands about any issue.

[DizzyEdge]

What I don't get is his 180 turn around... it's almost like he naively followed the Act as it's written (like he should), and then someone was like WOAH woah woah what .. those laws aren't supposed to be SERIOUS, don't you piss off our biggest contributors.

[Surrealplaces]

Really disappointed in Lindsay Blackett's flip-flop on this issue. I had hopes that he would be one of Calgary's better MLA's, but this is disappointing.

This "knocking down for safety reasons" argument is a load of crap. Our oldest buildings are not much more than 100 years old. Comparatively, in older US cities, buildings hundreds of years old have been restored and re-used. In Europe, buildings that were bombed to the point of being empty shells were restored to their former glory after WW2. I absolutely do not accept the "safety" argument - it's an utter cop-out, and particularly inexcusable in a city that lacks much historical fabric to begin with.

Re: Kent Herr - I agree with him, but wow, what were his parents thinking?



Well, his fasther's name is Dick Herr....nuff said.

[1ajs]

hey guys why don't u get on the cuff of this issue and organize a showing of the thing to get a better idea and get an engineer to come along so u can get a better idea of what kinda shape it is in

[h0twired]

hey guys why don't u get on the cuff of this issue and organize a showing of the thing to get a better idea and get an engineer to come along so u can get a better idea of what kinda shape it is in

Probably because we generally don't care that much about the old brewery and that in reality the money to restore the older buildings would most likely make any project cost prohibitive.

Lets face it. The buildings that are actually older than 80 years old are tiny and have been renovated and added on countless times. I would be VERY surprised if there was even anything worth saving.

Sure it would be nice to have restored and turned into some beer museum. However who would really come up with the money do take on such a project, especially when the land is worth more than the buildings and even the buildings would need millions to restore.

[kap384]

Probably because we generally don't care that much about the old brewery and that in reality the money to restore the older buildings would most likely make any project cost prohibitive.

Lets face it. The buildings that are actually older than 80 years old are tiny and have been renovated and added on countless times. I would be VERY surprised if there was even anything worth saving.

Sure it would be nice to have restored and turned into some beer museum. However who would really come up with the money do take on such a project, especially when the land is worth more than the buildings and even the buildings would need millions to restore.

Gotta love the fact that the internet allows people to post uneducated opinions:rolleyes:

You comments on the condition of the buildings and the costs to restore are entertaining. At least a valid point was raised by 1ajs to have a qualified person evaluate instead of greedy developers and talentless politicians chiming in.

[bob1954]

Been added on to, several times ay, that's news to me.

[O-tacular]

Gotta love spineless politicians. "It's a recession so we can't afford to piss off developers or tax payers. Instead let's let developers piss all over us and bulldoze historical buildings so they can sit as gravel parking lots for the next 20 years."

[monocle]

An interesting read, this thread.

Any one have any have any updates?

[DizzyEdge]

The owner has hired a qualified heritage architect who is evaluating the site.

[monocle]

The owner has hired a qualified heritage architect who is evaluating the site.

Thanks. That sounds like a positive step towards saving some of those buildings. Doesn't it?

[DizzyEdge]

We are cautiously optimistic