Wrecking ball future for 130-year heritage home on Winter Avenue
A heritage home in St. John's is one step closer to being demolished, after city council gave the home's new owner permission to tear the 130-year-old building down.
"It hurts my heart to think of it," Coun. Dave Lane told CBC's CrossTalk on Wednesday.
"It's a bit of a tragedy that this is happening."
Lane said the demolishment may have been avoided — or delayed, had the city gone about trying to prevent the demolition of 25 Winter Ave. in a different way.
"We knew that the building existed and that it was significant in terms of its architecture and heritage," Lane said.
"I wish we had moved faster and sooner. It was kind [of] a last-minute jump we made to save the property."
The issue was that upon hearing the property off King's Bridge Road could be on the chopping block, the city's heritage committee immediately attempted to designate it a heritage structure, Lane said.
In hindsight, Lane said the city should have assessed the property first, giving them 90 days before demolition could occur.
Councillors turned down the heritage committee's recommendation to make the structure a heritage property, as the sale of the property hinged on the new owner being allowed to demolish it.
City councillors didn't want to interfere with the sale.
Lessons learned
It's Lane's understanding that the new owner is planning on subdividing the property into three lots.
Beyond expropriating the property, which Lane doesn't think is viable, there is just one option left.
"We could maybe informally sit down and chat with them and make suggestions that maybe you could still subdivide the lot but keep that property."
While hope for saving the more than century-old home is bleak, Lane said it's something the city can learn from.
The heritage committee will recommend the city to identify as many properties that could be considered a heritage home, then reach out to the property owners.