Tecumseh Street lands needed to be re-purposed
By
Mark Schadenberg
I
think the City Of Woodstock should be congratulated for its record in improving
brownfields and utilizing or repurposing buildings.
Obviously
I realize, it’s just not the City itself but property owners as well, and
developers who see true potential in a structure or area.
Too
often the City is blamed if an owner does not maintain a vacant building and
later it’s leveled, such as the Capitol Theatre.
During
the passing of time, schools and churches close, fires occur, factories and
hotels are shut down, and even gigantic employers such as the ORC close their
doors.
Former main building at Woodstock's ORC
I
began to think about this new focus on properties when skimming through a city
council agenda on Nov. 3 and seeing that parcels of land on Tecumseh Street
were projected to become solar panel fields to create hydro. Often former industrial
lands have environmental concerns, so assuming there are no pollutants seeping
into the neighbouring Thames River watershed, I would agree it’s long overdue
to have a rehab to those acres in Woodstock’s west side.
The
addresses outlined at council were 255 and 313 Tecumseh Street and the
applicant was noted as ERTH Corporation. (Note: The former Thomas Bus factory addresses have been known as 211 and 275 Tecumseh) A picture of their plan is included
here.
Of
extra note, is that exact same day council received a report from a third
applicant – Woodstock General Hospital for a non-rooftop solar photovoltaic
installation at 310 Juliana. This project will occur only after scheduled
public meetings (with written notice given to those living in the neighbourhood)
and other provincial-level (Ontario Energy Board) approvals such as receiving a
FIT (Feed-In Tariff) renewable energy permit. There are some FIT notes / links
below if you want to read more about the application process.
Renovated
Buildings For A New Use
There
are many locally. Keep in mind, the vast majority of these projects were accomplished
by the private sector.
Paquette
sock factory on Dundas is now an apartment building.
Before
After
Harvey
Woods factory on Vansittart is assistive living housing.
Harvey
Woods on Wilson Street is an antique market. (Note: As a collector of CD's I've been in this building countless times, so I can attest the amount of actual renovations is very little, but the building provides a great service and is very well utilized)
All
Saints Church on Winniett Street is an apartment building
Princess
Street school is medical offices.
Both
the Broadway and Chapel street schools are both condominium apartments.
The
old building, which is the current home to Aden Footwear and several other
businesses at Dundas and Kent, had its top 2 floors removed during its massive
renovation a few years ago. Back in the 1860’s it was Richardson Soap Works
(See link below from the research of Paul Roberts of Woodstock)
I
also think of the Woodstock Badminton Club at the corner of Hunter and
Delatre. It was around 1930 that the
original Chalmers church was converted into a remarkable badminton club.
Central
United Church on Riddell Street across from Woodstock Collegiate is currently
undergoing a renovation to multi-family residential with a geared-to-income
component to some units.
Woodstock
Or County Owned
Woodstock
has a very long tradition of saving buildings such as the former downtown
market, which today is the home of Theatre Woodstock. It was built in 1895 and
became known as Market Centre Theatre in 1997.
Woodstock’s
City Hall at 500 Dundas was once the post office.
The
post office on Peel Street has been converted to medical and recreational (Youth
dance co-op) uses.
Woodstock’s
original City Hall is now the museum at 466 Dundas.
Woodstock’s
jail on Buller Street is now the Oxford Board of Health.
Oxford Board Of Health
Museum
The
local armoury on Graham Street (across street from cenotaph) is now the home of
BDO accountants.
The
South Gate Centre on Old Wellington Street was built in 1961, but not as a 50+
centre but as the local headquarters for Bell Canada. The building historically
(more than 80 years ago) at that site, however, was a tannery.
WRECKING
BALL
Not
all schools or churches have been renovated for a new use however. It would
appear the former St. Rita’s School on Dundas could soon be leveled and replaced
by two 10-storey apartment buildings by London-based Drewlo Holdings.
Preliminary drawings indicate that the gymnasium will not be demolished, so it
could be transformed (perhaps) into a gymnasium / fitness area for the
apartments.
LINKS:
www.oxfordoptometry.ca
HYDRO
X X X X X X X X X X
Mark Schadenberg, Sales
Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist
(SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
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