Proposed demolition of ‘landmark’ voted down by Heritage Kitchener

A developer wants to build an apartment building on the site of a CarQuest Auto Parts, but Heritage Kitchener is pushing back against the proposal.

1027 King Street East was the home to Onward Manufacturing Co. from 1914 to “at least the 1980s” but a Heritage Impact Assessment states that the Art Deco style tower is the only component of the property with heritage value.

Committee Chair Jean Haalboom is really fighting for the tower portion to stay incorporated into Vive Development’s plans. The firm is looking to turn the site into a 446-unit residential highrise.

“It is definitely a landmark, and I’d say one of the finest Art Deco buildings that we have in the city. And now we’re about to demolish it,” said Haalboom. “We can’t find any way to incorporate it into the new design and what a travesty. We’re the home of innovation, and it seems to me that we need to start looking at how can we innovatively incorporate these buildings.”

However, an assessment of the building’s structural integrity determined that the age, material, and construct of the tower makes stabilizing and redeveloping the existing structure “incredibly difficult.”

The committee voted on whether or not to let the notice to demolish the building run it’s course and it resulted in a tie. The final decision will be made at Monday’s council meeting.