Century-old Odd Fellows Home in Charleswood up for heritage preservation

The City of Winnipeg's historical buildings committee will consider a plan to preserve one of the oldest buildings in Charleswood.

If approved by the historical buildings and resources committee at its meeting on Dec. 14, the plan would prevent the owners from making changes to building's three-storey structure, brick facade, stone accents and gabled roof. It would also preserve finishes and layout of the main entrance lobby.

The director of the property and development department nominated the century-old former International Order of Odd Fellows Home at 4025 Roblin Blvd. to the historical resources list earlier this year.

It's the same property where the city had approved construction of a proposed 199-unit apartment complex, until that plan was quashed by the Manitoba Municipal Board in September.

Building owners Assiniboine Links Phase II Inc. (formerly known as the Odd Fellows) appealed the nomination, but that appeal was rejected by the property and development committee in June.

Owners object to designation

Daniel Serhal, the developer behind the proposed apartment complex, spoke on behalf of the Odd Fellows owners at the meeting.

He told the committee the owners objected to the heritage designation because "they feel it would unduly impede whatever they want to do on this site."

The building has undergone "extensive modifications" over the years, including completely gutting the interior in the early 2000s, Serhal said.

"They have been good stewards of this building for a century … They as the owners of the building object to this sort of added layer of bureaucracy that comes along with this designation."

Residents and heritage advocates spoke in favour of the historical designation, pointing to its significance as one of the only buildings of its age the neighbourhood.

Originally constructed in 1922 as a home for widows and orphaned children, it transformed over the years into an assisted living facility for seniors. 

The property includes a large green space to the south of the building, which the city says would not be included in any heritage designation. It was on this green space that the proposed apartment complex would have been built. 

The municipal board rejected the apartment proposal, saying the size and scale of the project was out of character with the surrounding neighbourhood.

If the historical buildings and resources committee grants the building heritage designation, the property and development committee must then approve it.