How to give aging churches new life
Councillor wants city to hire a consultant to study upgrades for iconic buildings
September 08, 2009
Dana Brown
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/630411
They're stunning, iconic buildings that speak to a time of religious grace and opulence.
They're also aging, some without the means or devotees to return them to their former glory.
The task of finding new uses for Hamilton's historic churches was recently raised among city councillors due to a development at All Saints Anglican Church, at Queen and King streets.
And at least one councillor would like the city to look into options for adaptive reuses for churches, which would allow them to keep their heritage value.
Councillor Brian McHattie is set to introduce a motion at committee today, calling on the city to approve hiring a consultant to look at the issue.
The cost would be no more than $5,000.
"(The All Saints situation) got me thinking that there's no doubt many other churches that are perhaps in that situation," said McHattie.
All Saints was built in the early 1870s. Partnered with a company called Options for Homes, the church plans to knock down its structurally-faltering building, along with the parish hall.
A nonprofit condo tower would replace them with a ministry maintained on the ground floor.
But after the project was recognized at the municipal heritage committee, it was recommended the building be looked at for a heritage designation, freezing the project.
Council first agreed to, then reversed, its decision to move ahead with the heritage analysis.
"In the future, what would be an ideal from our point of view would be to have a way of working with the heritage folks and the city so we could both preserve churches and develop the land around them, perhaps," said Rick Jones, archdeacon with the Diocese of Niagara.
"So that we would have a revenue stream so that we could actually afford to keep the buildings in the condition that they need to be kept in."
McHattie suggests one solution is for the city to provide a Community Improvement Plan, like the downtown renewal or facade program, which offers financial incentives.
But downtown councillor Bob Bratina, whose ward encompasses many heritage properties, isn't convinced a $5,000 consultant is the way to go.
Bratina said the city's development process needs to be perfected so heritage concerns get flagged right away.
There also needs to be a list of priority heritage buildings in the city, something council has approved compiling, the councillor said.
"The only thing I want to emphasize is that we don't have enough ability, as a municipality, to deal, especially an old city like ours, with all the heritage issues that come up," he said.
"And if we have to spend the kind of money we're spending on city hall and the Lister Block, we're in big trouble.
"Because that's 50 million bucks (extra) on two buildings (because of heritage concerns)."
Bratina said if the city wants to keep up old buildings, there needs to be more financial help from the provincial and federal governments.
In 1994, the city purchased St. Mark's Anglican church at Bay and Hunter streets, and it was designated a heritage site the next year. The church has since been sitting without revitalization, because of a lack of funds.
In addition to All Saints, there are three other churches the Diocese of Niagara is currently looking to redevelop.