Location Map: 48 Ontario Street North

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1 REPORT TO: Heritage Kitchener DATE OF MEETING: October 4, 2016 SUBMITTED BY: Brandon Sloan, Manager of Long Range & Policy Planning, , ext PREPARED BY: Sandra Parks, Heritage Planner, , ext WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 10 DATE OF REPORT: August 31, 2016 REPORT NO.: SUBJECT: CSD Designation of 48 Ontario Street North under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act RECOMMENDATION: That pursuant to Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, the Clerk be directed to publish a Notice of Intention to designate the property known as 48 Ontario Street North as being of cultural heritage value or interest. BACKGROUND: Location Map: 48 Ontario Street North The subject property known as the former Legion building is municipally addressed as 48 Ontario Street North. The 0.10-hectare (¼-acre) lot is located on the west side of Ontario Street North between King Street West and Duke Street West in Downtown Kitchener. It contains a two-storey Classical Revival style commercial office building with a full raised basement. The property is currently owned by the City of Kitchener. 3-1

2 48 Ontario Street North: front elevation Heritage Status 48 Ontario Street North was previously identified on the Heritage Kitchener Inventory of Historic Buildings. On March 26, 2012, City Council resolved to formally list the property on the City s Municipal Heritage Register as a non-designated property of cultural heritage value or interest. The Statement of Significance used in support of listing the property in 2012 is attached as Appendix A. In addition to its listing on the Municipal Heritage Register, the property is located within the Downtown Cultural Heritage Landscape, as identified in the Kitchener Cultural Heritage Landscapes Study. Official Plan The Kitchener Official Plan, adopted by Council in June 2014, contains policies addressing how the City will lead the community by example in the conservation of City-owned cultural heritage resources: Policy 12.C.1.43: the City will lead the community by example in the management and care of City-owned cultural heritage resources by following good conservation practice consistent with the Parks Canada Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada, and Policy 12.C.1.44: the City will conserve and consider designation under the Ontario Heritage Act for all City-owned cultural heritage resources and prepare strategies and plans for their care, management and stewardship. 3-2

3 Heritage Best Practices In the last several years much of the City s Heritage Planning efforts have concentrated on establishing an up-to-date register of cultural heritage resources. Between 2007 and 2015, over 1,000 properties were evaluated using the City s public process for listing non-designated property, resulting in 231 properties being listed on the Municipal Heritage Register. In addition, in 2014 the City completed one of the first comprehensive studies in Ontario regarding cultural heritage landscapes, resulting in the identification of 55 areas as significant cultural heritage landscapes. Concentrating efforts on establishing an up-to-date heritage register has in part contributed to Kitchener lagging behind other municipalities in the rate of individual designations approved under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Sport reports that between January 2005 and August 2015 the City of Kitchener rated second lowest both on a per capita basis in the number of Part IV designations among municipalities in Waterloo Region, and in comparison to six other municipalities having a similar population. The comparison tables are included in Appendix B to this report. In December 2015, Council considered a staff report on Heritage Best Practices (CSD ) and approved eight best practice measures to be addressed in the immediate-, short- and longterm. The Heritage Best Practices report advised that while listing serves to formally identify a property as a cultural heritage resource, it affords only limited protection. Heritage designation not only publicly recognizes and promotes awareness of heritage properties, it also provides a process for ensuring that changes to a heritage property are appropriately managed and that these changes respect the property s heritage value. Consideration should be given to being more active in designating identified cultural heritage resources, including City-owned resources, and in passing designating by-laws in a timely manner following Council s issuance of a notice of intention to designate. One of eight approved best practices concerns designation: That a sub-committee of Heritage Kitchener be established to work with City staff in reviewing the list of non-designated properties on the Municipal Heritage Register, including City-owned properties, in identifying priority candidates for designation, with a view toward bringing recommendations forward for designation annually in consultation with property owners. A Designation Sub-Committee was established early this year. They have developed a Listed Properties Matrix which rates each property listed on the Municipal Heritage Register based on a variety of criteria, including identified risks and support for designation. At their June meeting, the Sub-Committee identified 48 Ontario Street North as a priority candidate for designation; it ranked in the top four of the 231 Listed properties. REPORT: Identifying and protecting cultural heritage resources within our City is an important part of planning for our future, and of helping to guide change while conserving the buildings, structures and landscapes that give Kitchener its unique identity. Municipalities play a critical role in the conservation of cultural heritage resources. The designation of property under the Ontario Heritage Act is the main tool that municipalities have to provide long-term protection of cultural heritage resources for future generations. Designation recognizes the importance of a property to the local community; protects the property s cultural heritage value; encourages good stewardship and conservation; and, promotes knowledge and understanding about the property. Designation not only publicly recognizes and promotes awareness, it also provides a process for ensuring that changes to a property are appropriately managed and that these changes respect the property s cultural heritage value or interest. 3-3

4 The former Legion building is recognized for its design, physical, historical, associative, and contextual values. The 1910 structure has design or physical value as a representative example of the Classical Revival style in Kitchener which displays a high degree of craftsmanship and artistic merit. It displays typical Classical Revival features on the front elevation, such as the four brick pilasters with brownstone capitals and bases which give the impression of Roman Doric columns. The attractive decorative features executed in brownstone are a relatively rare building material in Berlin/Kitchener. Notable interior features include the front entrance terrazzo floor, front staircase with slate treads and metal risers, and wood handrails with paired metal balusters and metal newel-posts. The historic or associative values of the former Legion building relate to its direct associations with both the Bell Telephone Company, who owned the property from 1909 to 1944, and the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 50, who bought the property in 1944 and moved to new premises in Both are significant to, and yield information that contributes to an understanding of, our culture today. These organizations have made significant contributions to the City s economic development and have influenced the course of local and regional history. The contextual value of the former Legion building relates to its location within the Downtown Cultural Heritage Landscape. It is important in defining, maintaining and supporting the historic commercial character of the downtown area and its status as the real and symbolic heart of the City. The complete Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest including a list of Heritage Attributes, attached as Appendix C, will become part of the Designation By-law. Heritage Planning staff have consulted with City of Kitchener Facilities Management and Economic Development Divisions regarding designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the City s strategic vision through the delivery of core service. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: N/A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM, CONSULT AND COLLABORATE Section 29(2) of the Ontario Heritage Act requires Council to consult with the Municipal Heritage Committee (Heritage Kitchener) before giving notice of its intention to designate a property. Heritage Kitchener will be consulted via circulation and consideration of this report. Members of the community will be informed via circulation of this report to Heritage Kitchener and via formal consideration by Council. In addition, should Council choose to give notice of its intention to designate, such notice will be served on the property owner and the Ontario Heritage Trust, and published in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality (The Record). REVIEWED BY: Leon Bensason, Coordinator, Cultural Heritage Planning ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Alain Pinard, Director of Planning APPENDIX A: Statement of Significance used to List property on Municipal Heritage Register APPENDIX B: Designation Comparison Tables APPENDIX C: Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest for use in Designation By-law 3-4

5 HERITAGE PROPERTY REPORT 48 Ontario Street North (Bell Telephone Co./Canadian Legion) Municipal Address: 48 Ontario Street North, Kitchener Legal Description: Plan 401, Pt. Lt. 7 Year Built: c Architectural Style: Classical Revival Original Owner: Bell Telephone Co. Original Use: Office Exterior Condition: Good Ownership: Public Historical Information This structure was originally built circa 1914 by Bell Telephone Co. and housed their offices from c to c During World War Two, the building was occupied by the Unemployment Insurance Commission from and by the Employment and Selective Service Office from Following the war, the building became home to a local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion from 1946 to Architectural Description Site Detail 48 Ontario Street North is located on the west side of Ontario Street, between King and Duke Streets in the Downtown. The site contains a parking lot at the north side of the building. Plan, Stories & Bays The three-storey structure has a shallow L-shape with four bays on the front elevation. The north side elevation has eleven bays, the south side elevation is one bay and the rear elevation is two bays wide. Building Material and Detail The subject building is constructed of red brick laid in the common bond style. The foundation is brick. The front elevation features decorative brownstone details including lintels, pilaster capitals and bases, and entrance frontispiece. Roof & Roofline The shallow L-shaped roof is flat and the roofline is straight and unadorned. January

6 East (Front) Elevation On the first floor there is an entrance at the north side of the front elevation with a plate glass door, sidelights and transom. The entrance is decorated by a brownstone frontispiece with a brick base, scroll brackets and entablature. There are five, tall rectangular windows with brownstone lintels and sills. The window glazing has been replaced with fixed, single-panes and there are four brownstone pilaster bases. There are six, tall rectangular windows on the second floor. Three of the six windows have their upper lights blocked and the other three have one-over-one sashes. The windows have brownstone lintels and brick sills. January

7 Above the window lintels is a brownstone belt course connecting four pilaster capitals of the same material. North (Side) Elevation The north elevation is constructed of red brick and has three centre bays that are recessed. There are nine segmentally-arched window openings with triple brick-header voussoirs and stone sills. Some of the windows retain the original one-over-one and fourover-four sashes and others have modern glazing. There are three small square, third floor windows at the rear with stone sills and single-pane glazing. There is one small rectangular third floor window near the front with a stone sill and one-over-one sashes. The foundation and walls to the roofline are red brick and there are five segmentally-arched basement windows with triple brick-header voussoirs and single-pane glazing. South (Side) Elevation The south elevation is flanked very closely by the neighbouring building. It is constructed of red brick with no window openings. West (Rear) Elevation The rear elevation consists of red brick and two segmentally-arched window openings with brick voussoirs and stone sills. Both windows have four-over-four sashes. January

8 Interior Notable interior features include the front staircase with slate treads and metal risers, wood handrail and metal balustrade and newel posts. Conclusions Historically, the property is associated with companies and organizations having made significant contributions to the City s economic development and that have influenced the course of local and regional history. Architecturally, the circa 1914 structure is an example of the Classical Revival style with attractive decorative features executed in brownstone, a relatively rare building material in Berlin/Kitchener. January

9 Cultural Heritage Value or Interest 48 Ontario Street North Bell Telephone Co./Canadian Legion Statement of Significance This property, located on the west side of Ontario Street North in Downtown Kitchener, contains a two-storey commercial building completed circa Kitchener was known as the City of Berlin when this building was constructed. This structure was originally built circa 1914 by Bell Telephone Co. and housed their offices from c to c During World War Two, the building was occupied by the Unemployment Insurance Commission from and by the Employment and Selective Service Office from Following the war, the building became home to a local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion from 1946 to Architecturally, the circa 1914 structure is an example of the Classical Revival style with attractive decorative features executed in brownstone, a relatively rare building material in Berlin/Kitchener. Heritage Attributes All building elevations and exterior features including: Red brick walls. All windows* and window openings, stone sills, and brick voussoirs. All exterior doors and door openings*. Roof and roofline. Brownstone lintels, pilaster capitals and bases and entrance frontispiece Interior features to include: Main staircase with slate treads and risers, wood handrails, metal balustrade and newel posts. * Building features are included as heritage attributes regardless if they are not the original. This is done to maintain control over future alterations that may be further unsympathetic than existing replacement materials and/or design. January

10 Heritage Conservation Indicators Waterloo Region Organised Municipality Population Website MHC # Part IV 01/06/ /08/2015 Post 2005 Part IV Rate/Population Any Part IV to 31/08/15 # Part V Heritage Property Tax Relief Heritage Property Standards By-law Cambridge, City of 12, % 3 Kitchener, City of 219, % 4 North Dumfries, Township of 9, % 1 Waterloo, City of 98, % 1 Wellesley, Township of 10, % Wilmot, Township of 19, % 1 Woolwich, Township of 23, % 3-10

11 Heritage Property Standards By-law # Part V HPTR Any Part IV (to 31/08/2015) Post 2005 Part IV Rate/Population # Part IV (01/06/ /08/2015 Organised Municipality Population MHC London, City of 366, % 6 Markham, City of 301, % 4 Vaughan, City of 288, % 4 Kitchener, City of 219, % 4 Windsor, City of 210, % 2 Richmond Hill, Town of 185, % 1 Oakville, Town of 182, %

12 Description of the Property Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest The subject property known as the former Legion building is municipally addressed as 48 Ontario Street North. The 0.10-hectare (¼-acre) lot is located on the west side of Ontario Street North between King Street West and Duke Street West in Downtown Kitchener. It contains a two-storey Classical Revival style commercial office building with a full raised basement. Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest The former Legion building is recognized for its design, physical, historical, associative, and contextual values. The former Legion building has design or physical value as a representative example of the Classical Revival style in Kitchener which displays a high degree of craftsmanship and artistic merit. Typical Classical Revival features found on the front elevation of this 1910 structure include brick rustication on the raised basement level, a brownstone doorcase and frontispiece with carved scroll brackets supporting an entablature, tall rectangular window openings with brownstone lintels and sills, and a flat roofline adorned with a simple cornice. Set between two horizontal brownstone belt courses, four brick pilasters with brownstone capitals and bases give the impression of Roman Doric columns. The attractive decorative features executed in brownstone are a relatively rare building material in Berlin/Kitchener. Windows on other elevations generally contain segmentally-arched openings with triple brick-header voussoirs and stone sills. Notable interior features include the front entrance terrazzo floor, front staircase with slate treads and metal risers, and wood handrails with paired metal balusters and metal newelposts. The historic or associative values of the former Legion building relate to its direct associations with both the Bell Telephone Company, who purchased the land and constructed this building in , and the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 50, who bought the property from Bell in Both are significant to, and yield information that contributes to an understanding of, our culture today. These organizations have made significant contributions to the City s economic development and have influenced the course of local and regional history. Bell Telephone began service in the Town of Berlin in 1879, with a local druggist as agent. There were 48 subscribers in This new office building was equipped with every modern device known to telephony. Telephone use grew exponentially after this move. In 1914, switchboards served 500 lines; in 1915, 1,750; in 1920, 3,239; in 1925 the 5,000 th telephone was installed in Kitchener. Following World War Two, the building became home to a local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Branch 50 was founded by veterans in 1926, just one year after the Legion itself was formed, and is considered the Mother Branch in Waterloo Region. More than 500 armed forces members from Kitchener-Waterloo died during the two World Wars. In 1996, the Branch was renamed after decorated First World War soldier Fred Gies. The Legion was well known for live entertainment, inspiring a vibrant local music scene. The Legion moved to new premises in The contextual value of the former Legion building relates to its location within the Downtown Cultural Heritage Landscape. It is important in defining, maintaining and supporting the historic 3-12

13 commercial character of the downtown area and its status as the real and symbolic heart of the City. Description of the Heritage Attributes Key exterior heritage attributes that embody the design or physical values of the former Legion building as a representative example of a Classical Revival style commercial office building in Kitchener include: All building elevations and exterior features including: red brick walls including basement level brick rustication and pilasters, all window openings, sills, lintels and brick voussoirs, all exterior door openings, roof and roofline, and decorative Brownstone features including: banding and belt courses, sills and lintels, pilaster capitals and bases, and entrance doorcase and frontispiece with scroll brackets and entablature. Key interior heritage attributes that embody the design or physical values of the former Legion building include: front entrance terrazzo floor, front staircase including: slate treads and metal risers, and wood handrails with paired metal balusters and metal newel-posts. Key heritage attributes that embody the contextual value of the former Legion building include the: location on Ontario Street North. 3-13