04-11-2015, 08:37 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-11-2015, 08:39 AM by panamaniac.)
Heritage Kitchener moves to save Sacred Heart convent from demolition
Sacred Heart convent
David Bebee,Record Staff
Heritage Kitchener would like to save the Sacred Heart convent which could be demolished to make way for parking spaces.
Waterloo Region Record
By Catherine Thompson
KITCHENER — In a bid to save Sacred Heart convent from demolition, Kitchener's heritage committee has moved to designate the convent, as well as Sacred Heart church and other associated buildings, as a heritage property.
The property at Moore Avenue and Shanley Street contains Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, the two-storey former convent building, the church rectory and what was once the pastor's house. The Diocese of Hamilton, which owns the 0.5-hectare property, applied last month to the city for a permit to demolish one building — the convent — to create about 20 parking spaces.
The diocese met with city staff, and said it no longer has any use for the convent building, which has been vacant since at least 2009, and needs the parking, since there are only seven parking spots on the property. The church uses parking at the former Sacred Heart school next door, but that could disappear as the school board is looking to dispose of the school property.
....
The convent was built in 1927 in a style that echoes the buff brick and the design of the church, but in a more conservative style, said Leon Bensason, Kitchener's co-ordinator of heritage planning.
But the whole complex of buildings, taken together, is a unique physical testimony to the city's heritage, Bensason noted:
•The church is pivotal in the history of the Polish community in Kitchener and contains a number of plaques the Polish-Canadian Congress says are of historic value for Polish Canadians. It was designed by noted Toronto architect Arthur Williams Holmes.
• The convent housed the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who taught at the Catholic school next door on Moore Avenue.
• The church operated nearby Mount Hope Cemetery from 1918-1958.
The original buildings are all in place, and the complete complex of buildings and properties, and the interrelationships between them, are "uniquely significant within the city" and possibly in the region, Bensason said.
"It tells the story of that parish, that was established in 1912. Without the convent, that piece of the history is missing," Bensason said.
The diocese views the matter differently. The nuns left in 1985, and though other Catholic groups have used the convent over the years, the diocese hasn't been able to find a user since 2009, Kroetsch said.
"We recognize the church for sure," he said. "It's a parish that has been there for a long time; it's part of the fabric, if you will, of the Catholic community. The convent was simply a residence for the Sisters of Notre Dame. They had several in the city. … In speaking even with the sisters who left in 1995, they don't see any great merit in the building themselves."
Engineers hired by the diocese say the convent is in fair to good condition, though windows, doors and roof are in poor condition. They estimate it would cost at least $1.7 million to fix it up, a figure Bensason questions.
Because the site is central, and close to the future LRT, city staff thought the building might be converted for another use, and contacted housing officials with the Region of Waterloo, who toured the convent.
Former convents have been successfully converted, and there are groups locally with proposals to fund affordable housing who are looking for suitable buildings or sites, housing officials told the city.
City heritage officials asked the diocese if it would work with the city to find an alternative to tearing the convent down. The diocese replied that it would not withdraw its application for a demolition permit, but would be willing to delay demolition for three to four months.
Council considers the heritage committee's proposal to designate on Monday.
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5552...emolition/
Sacred Heart convent
David Bebee,Record Staff
Heritage Kitchener would like to save the Sacred Heart convent which could be demolished to make way for parking spaces.
Waterloo Region Record
By Catherine Thompson
KITCHENER — In a bid to save Sacred Heart convent from demolition, Kitchener's heritage committee has moved to designate the convent, as well as Sacred Heart church and other associated buildings, as a heritage property.
The property at Moore Avenue and Shanley Street contains Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, the two-storey former convent building, the church rectory and what was once the pastor's house. The Diocese of Hamilton, which owns the 0.5-hectare property, applied last month to the city for a permit to demolish one building — the convent — to create about 20 parking spaces.
The diocese met with city staff, and said it no longer has any use for the convent building, which has been vacant since at least 2009, and needs the parking, since there are only seven parking spots on the property. The church uses parking at the former Sacred Heart school next door, but that could disappear as the school board is looking to dispose of the school property.
....
The convent was built in 1927 in a style that echoes the buff brick and the design of the church, but in a more conservative style, said Leon Bensason, Kitchener's co-ordinator of heritage planning.
But the whole complex of buildings, taken together, is a unique physical testimony to the city's heritage, Bensason noted:
•The church is pivotal in the history of the Polish community in Kitchener and contains a number of plaques the Polish-Canadian Congress says are of historic value for Polish Canadians. It was designed by noted Toronto architect Arthur Williams Holmes.
• The convent housed the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who taught at the Catholic school next door on Moore Avenue.
• The church operated nearby Mount Hope Cemetery from 1918-1958.
The original buildings are all in place, and the complete complex of buildings and properties, and the interrelationships between them, are "uniquely significant within the city" and possibly in the region, Bensason said.
"It tells the story of that parish, that was established in 1912. Without the convent, that piece of the history is missing," Bensason said.
The diocese views the matter differently. The nuns left in 1985, and though other Catholic groups have used the convent over the years, the diocese hasn't been able to find a user since 2009, Kroetsch said.
"We recognize the church for sure," he said. "It's a parish that has been there for a long time; it's part of the fabric, if you will, of the Catholic community. The convent was simply a residence for the Sisters of Notre Dame. They had several in the city. … In speaking even with the sisters who left in 1995, they don't see any great merit in the building themselves."
Engineers hired by the diocese say the convent is in fair to good condition, though windows, doors and roof are in poor condition. They estimate it would cost at least $1.7 million to fix it up, a figure Bensason questions.
Because the site is central, and close to the future LRT, city staff thought the building might be converted for another use, and contacted housing officials with the Region of Waterloo, who toured the convent.
Former convents have been successfully converted, and there are groups locally with proposals to fund affordable housing who are looking for suitable buildings or sites, housing officials told the city.
City heritage officials asked the diocese if it would work with the city to find an alternative to tearing the convent down. The diocese replied that it would not withdraw its application for a demolition permit, but would be willing to delay demolition for three to four months.
Council considers the heritage committee's proposal to designate on Monday.
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5552...emolition/