The following article appeared in the March 28 edition of the Guelph Mercury:
The city has asked some downtown property owners if they would consider selling so a new central library could front onto Wyndham Street.
If buildings are acquired and presumably demolished, it would mean the new main library would be near, if not beside, the old post office on Wyndham, which the last city council decided against buying and converting into a new main library.
The area being targeted is north of the former post office, now home to Wellington County’s social services department, and could include buildings that house the Family Thrift Store, Wyndham Art Supplies and Hush Salon and Spa.
Council approved the Baker Street parking lot as the preferred site for a new main library last November. The city’s realty services has approached several business owners and asked them to think about whether they would be willing to sell.
Property owners say the discussion is preliminary and no offers have been made.
Gary Grewal, who owns the commercial-residential building that houses Fresh Start and Hush Salon, said the city provided him with an estimate of his property’s value.
He said he still needs to consider the number, which he would not disclose.
“If I don’t have to sell it, I probably won’t. I like the building. I like the area,” he said, adding he purchased the property about two years ago.
Doug Bridge, who co-owns the building that houses Wyndham Art Supplies, said he’s been asked to consider a sale, though no timeline or price was discussed.
“That’s a pretty serious move for us and we haven’t decided,” he said, explaining the city likely has the ability to expropriate the land, which is “the last thing anybody needs.”
David Corks, downtown economic development manager, declined to comment whether any discussions were underway with landowners. Jim Stokes, manger of realty services, could not be reached yesterday.
Corks said several options are being considered as a way to give the central library frontage and access onto a main downtown street. That could mean taking over property on Wyndham, Woolwich or Quebec streets, he said. It could also mean converting Baker into a main street by widening and then opening it up to two-way traffic.
Staff are working on the options and the goal is to present them to the public in May, Corks said.
Norman McLeod, chief librarian of Guelph Public Library, said the library board has always felt a presence on Wyndham would be desirable.
“It’s my understanding that they (the city) share this view,” he said.
Councillor Ian Findlay, who chairs the city’s downtown co-ordinating committee, said at one time Quebec Street was a serious option, but is less so now because the situation has changed with one of the churches.
Wyndham Street appears to be the most promising choice because of the availability and the current usage, Findlay said.
Two upper Wyndham Street commercial spaces will become available this spring when Ed Pickersgill moves his housing centre, food bank, youth shelter and gallery to a single property on Baker Street. The storefront at 156 Wyndham is already vacant.
But Pickersgill, an affordable housing advocate, said it doesn’t make sense for the city to target buildings that have residential on the upper storeys. He said 148 Wyndham has 16 apartments and there are more above Wyndham Art Supplies.
“That’s totally the opposite of residential intensification to take out apartments from the downtown,” he said.
Ray Mitchell, who owns the Family Thrift Store, said he’s likely to take a huge hit if the city acquires the building where he rents.
“I’d be completely screwed. I’d have no revenue coming in and my business would be gone.”
“This didn’t have to come to this. They had the post office they could have bought,” he said.
The previous city council voted against purchasing the Wyndham Street post office in February 2005. The city could have bought the historic building for about $1 million. Renovations for interim staff use would have cost another $1 million to $1.2 million. Costs to convert the building into a library were estimated at $17.3 million.
In the city’s capital budget, $17.3 million is earmarked for a new main library in 2011, however several councillors have expressed concern that the price tag could be much higher.
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1 Comment
April 2, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Ah, the stupidity of the last council’s Reign of Error! Soon after its election it rejected the Post Office for $1+ million, then had to pay much more than that as their share of the county’s renovation. Yet they were still not be able to use the facility. This was one of many really tunnel-visioned and mean decisions made during those three years.
Mean spirited? I firmly believe that the thumbs down on the Post Office had more to do with the fact that it had been a Farbridge priority before the 2003 election, and with the new group of leaderless city leaders, that meant it was as doomed as the healthy trees in Royal City park, the Mitchell farmhouse, or the viability of a vibrant downtown Guelph.
Should the city approach the county about buying the property? Yes – but they will have to withstand the whinnying, wailing and grandstanding of those visionless persons who allowed it to slip away in the first place.