Cambridge council to discuss demolition of former Preston Springs Hotel

The former Preston Springs Hotel located at 102 Fountain St. South in Cambridge has been a topic of contention for Cambridge residents for years.

After property owners Haastown Holdings applied for demolition in late August, the Ontario Heritage Act requires Cambridge council to respond within 90 days – and that time is beginning to run short.

With council set to discuss their response to the application on Tuesday, city staff have recommended that council refuse the application on the grounds that the building is still designated a heritage landmark – the City’s Official Plan policy requires council to de-designate the property before demolition can take place.

While that process has started and is currently before the Conservation Review Board, Ward 1 Councillor Donna Reid said the building needs to come down. With the hotel property in her ward, Reid said she’s been hearing concerns from Cambridge residents over the years – regarding the building’s aesthetics and safety.

“I am really thinking of trying to have it demolished sooner rather than later – which is a possibility (…) but it would certainly upset the people who believe in the heritage value…” said Reid. “… it’s not to say I don’t believe in the heritage value; from what I understand, there isn’t enough of it left…”

Speaking with 570 NEWS, Reid said that the building had been declared unsafe in January of 2020 after inspectors identified the hotel as being in an “advanced state of deterioration”. That declaration came with an order to demolish the building, which was appealed by the local chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario – who stated that part of the building could be saved. When asked about the prospects of preserving or even renovating portions of the Preston Springs Hotel, Reid said that those options aren’t viable.

“We’ve tried over many years to try and come up with a good business case for saving portions or all of this building… and we’ve never been able to do anything, find any way that was successful. And now, we’re at the point of… I think we really seriously need to take this building down before something tragic happens.”

In considering Cambridge council’s options for how to respond to the owner’s application, Reid said that one of the options she’s considering bringing forward is that council choose not to respond within the 90 day period, ending on November 23^rd.

“If we do nothing about the demolition brought forward, it would allow Haastown Holdings to, on November the 24^th, get a permit for demolition – and they could go ahead because we haven’t acted. We have 90 days to act and if we don’t act, they can then go ahead,” said Reid.

“However, that means that we are also going against our Official Plan – which is not an easy decision for council to make… and it also means that, politically, those people who really believe in heritage are going to feel we haven’t listened to them.”

If council chooses to follow staff’s recommendation to refuse the application, the property owner could appeal Council’s decision to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT). That appeal would mean the LPAT could order the owner’s appeal dismissed, or that the city could be forced to consent to the demolition. Regardless, that decision would be final. Staff have also notified Cambridge council that this option would likely mean the City would incur unknown legal costs to defend their position before the Tribunal.

Reid also mentioned that she has her own concerns of prolonging this decision through the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal or waiting for the heritage designation decision from the Conservancy of Ontario – and that comes with the continued degradation of the hotel property.

“I’m really nervous about going through another winter – there are portions of the building that are open to the weather… with the freezing and thawing it’s going to deteriorate further – and no one can know how bad it’s going to become and whether it may even collapse… we all know it’s a possibility”

“… it’s already been a year since it’s been declared unsafe, and I just feel we can’t continue putting this off. Morally, I feel that I have to stand up and say something because people’s lives could be at risk.”

Reid said that she understands that the building has historical value, adding that Cambridge residents have every right to stand up for the preservation of the heritage structure. She said that she too is concerned about saving heritage, though, in her mind, this decision is about averting what could become a tragedy.

“If you’re going to put something that’s deteriorated so badly against human life, I’m going to choose human life.”