41 buildings that are about to be demolished

[Totu]

I can't believe it!!!

Very sad!!!

Totu

[vid]

Originally Posted by softee

It's nice to know someone is aware of the progressive nature of NB, most people (mostly from Southern On) who've never been here just assume that it's a backward, redneck hellhole. It must be the name.

They're probably confusing it with Tundra Bay. I know lots of people confuse the two, and I have met people on many occasions who come here and expect it to be another Toronto.

[Coral Builder]

Good Riddance, a horrible area of blighted urban fabric. Removing these decrepid crack houses will hopefully get rid of some of the squatting 'elements' responsible for the downfall of most of downtown and the problems in the Brantford area in general.

[BigKidD]

Overall, this plan seems to be quite shortsighted and will end up being a terrible loss for the city.

[dktshb]

Originally Posted by Coral Builder

Good Riddance, a horrible area of blighted urban fabric. Removing these decrepid crack houses will hopefully get rid of some of the squatting 'elements' responsible for the downfall of most of downtown and the problems in the Brantford area in general.

Police can deal with squatters. Tearing down these gems is shortsighted and the absolutely wrong solution.

[nature's calling]

What depressing news. These buildings are so beautiful and attractive, and they can bring so much revitalization to that city. Oh well.

[vid]

Originally Posted by Coral Builder

Good Riddance, a horrible area of blighted urban fabric. Removing these decrepid crack houses will hopefully get rid of some of the squatting 'elements' responsible for the downfall of most of downtown and the problems in the Brantford area in general.

It isn't the "squatting 'elements'" that are responsible for the downtown of downtown, it is the shift to suburban shopping that is responsible. People basically abandoned downtown, and that enabled the "squatting 'elements'" to take it over. They're not a cause of neglect, they're a symptom, and tearing down the city is like cutting off your arm because of a paper cut.

[flar]

This row of buildings isn't the only blighted area in Brantford, and the "squatting elements" will still be around when the buildings are gone. Actually, these buildings were not abandoned. The upper floors of these buildings were full of rental units with people living in them. If anyone is squatting in these buildings, it's the city's fault for expropriating the properties, kicking out all the tenants and creating abandoned buildings. The city has exacerbated its problems by reducing the stock of affordable rental housing.

[vid]

Maybe they'll experience what Thunder Bay did and see a tent city of homeless people pop up beside Wal-Mart.

(By tent, I mean mattress resting on cinder blocks.)

[Braddale]

Had the day off today and drove to Brantford to see for myself what is about to be torn down....could not believe it, they will be tearing down at least 30 to 40 per cent of the downtown.

The buildings all still look solid, reminds me of the streetscape on Queen West in Toronto. Cant believe they ever let the core of Brantford get to this state.

I would have exhausted all possibilities of saving these buildings before even thinking of demolition.

[ScottJ]

Well, I live in Brantford and can understand why people would react the way they have on this forum based on what has been described as the current situation. The reality is quite different however. Many many heritage buildings in Brantford have been saved and renovated, including a large number downtown. If you'd like to see for yourself, Google streetview is now available here.

One person owned the majority of these buildings, and let them fall into disrepair over the course of 30 years essentially as a slumlord, maintaining them to the bare minimum standard. It truly is a travesty. However, there are three growing post-secondary Institutions downtown that -with the help of funding and the donation of many buildings from the city- are renovating and moving into many old buildings that were previously in a similar state. However, the buildings this thread is about -for the most part- were deemed to be beyond hope. Developers looked at the possibility of renovating them into something useful, but none considered it feasible. So after 30 years of waiting, the city decided to expropriate the buildings. In their place is proposed a multi-use athletic facility for the schools and public use which would take up the majority of this stretch, along with possibly shops and apartments. Indeed, these plans are not finalized, but the city council is not simply tearing down these buildings with no plan at all. A large part of the downtown has been rehabilitated and renovated, and this is the last stretch to undergo that transformation.

[vid]

Developers looked at the possibility of renovating them into something useful, but none considered it feasible.

If people were living in them, then it is feasible. The real problem is a lack of political and economic will to do so.

[ScottJ]

Maybe it's 'physically' feasible, because the buildings aren't falling down -yet- but it's not economically feasible. Yes, there has been a lack of political will over the last 30 years to do anything about the situation, and as a result these buildings have rotted to their current state. The city took control of these buildings, asked developers if they could be rehabilitated, and everyone they talked to said that to renovate these buildings would require far more investment than could ever be made economically viable in a small town. This would include developers who have already renovated heritage buildings in Brantford.

[flar]

Originally Posted by ScottJ

Maybe it's 'physically' feasible, because the buildings aren't falling down -yet- but it's not economically feasible. Yes, there has been a lack of political will over the last 30 years to do anything about the situation, and as a result these buildings have rotted to their current state. The city took control of these buildings, asked developers if they could be rehabilitated, and everyone they talked to said that to renovate these buildings would require far more investment than could ever be made economically viable in a small town. This would include developers who have already renovated heritage buildings in Brantford.

BS. I've talked to a few people and none of these buildings have been assessed by an engineer. None of them have been assessed for heritage value either. The decision to demolish them was rammed through without public consultation or debate.

You don't have to look to far to find smaller towns than Brantford that managed to restore their Victorian buildings. Just follow the Grand River north to places like Paris, Fergus and Elora. How about Perth or Chatham? The are many more examples right in Ontario.

Also: there are no plans to redevelop the land. The YMCA of Hamilton-Burlington-Brantford proposal is dead. Its main source of funding was rejected before it even got off the drawing board.

[vid]

Originally Posted by ScottJ

Maybe it's 'physically' feasible, because the buildings aren't falling down -yet- but it's not economically feasible.

It is economically feasible, just not in a short term, big gains way. Spending money to fix those buildings, get businesses and residents in them and revive the street so that, a decade from now, it is a nicer place, won't make anyone much money in the short term, but 20 years from now it will pay off big time.

Originally Posted by ScottJ

everyone they talked to said that to renovate these buildings would require far more investment than could ever be made economically viable in a small town.

That's why cities like ours have programmes to make those investments work. Thunder Bay has a building restoration loan programme and it works. Buildings get renovated. Then they gain value, house successful businesses and pay $20,000 each in taxes every year.

[Rizzo]

Man, this thread is still biting me. I just can't get over the loss of these buildings and I live no where close to Brantford. I think what's worse is the most painful moment has yet to come. It's like seeing a dying family member in the hospital right now.

At least in my life, my hometown had already demolished most of its downtown. I realized the city had reached a tipping point, that if even more of the city was demoed, I just wasn't going to care anymore. It was my decision to move to a place where there were plenty of historic buildings and vibrant street life. Instead of sticking around, I left. No longer was I working or living there....their loss in taxes. And I'm definitely not alone on this. Cities that continue to remove a sense of place will only continue to encourage residents to leave.

[vid]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Cities that continue to remove a sense of place will only continue to encourage residents to leave.

A local author recently published a book about this very thing. The Last Best Places: Storytelling about Thunder Bay's Historic Buildings. It's a good read. Every city should have a book like this.

[Shasta]

What a terrible situation. The town must be run by morons.

That said, there is NO DOUBT that someone somewhere is making $$$ off of this.

[Braddale]

Anyone who lives within a 2 or 3 hour drive should make the trip just to see it for yourself, took me about an hour and a half from Toronto, went 401 to 24 and right into Brantford.

The was only one business still open, it was a Thai restaurant and they had a sign saying it was their last weekend, then they will have to move to some godforsaken strip mall.

[MarieJ]

As you know 41 historic buildings on the South Side of Colborne Street (most 5-8 storeys) are ALL target for DEMOLITION VERY SOON.
Within them the LONGEST STRETCH OF PRE-CONFEDERATION buildings REMAINING IN CANADA. Once we lose them ALL, we will have lost A HUGE CHUNK OF BRANTFORD'S HISTORY, ONTARIO'S HISTORY, AND CANADA'S HISTORY.

Brantford was an important Canadian industrial center for the first half of the 20th Century, and was once the THIRD LARGEST CITY IN ONTARIO. Many of these buildings are the reason for that. Many of them date back to the earliest days of Brantford and are ALL built on the OLDEST part of Brantford.

We have history,
we are destroying history,
while destroying history,
we are making history.

There is no deeper irony than that.

PLEASE HELP US SAVE OUR BUILT HERITAGE!! Sign the Petition?
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savethesouthside/


Please join; Save the South Side of Colborne Street! (1, 631 members and counting!!!!)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gi...5224286&ref=ts


VISUAL REMINDER OF WHAT WE STAND TO LOSE
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumns...7623298893981/

Interior Photos.
Exterior Photos.
Photos from our Past.