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What's next for Fredericton's Lemont House? Heritage advocates want to know
The historically significant house has been boarded up for months
Lemont House, built in the 1880s, has been boarded up for months. Signs of decline have started to show -- a hole in the roof, a few in the eaves, one is a home to pigeons.
"If you look at it from the outside, you can see that it's starting to be badly in need of repair," said Richard Bird, president of the Fredericton Heritage Trust.
Lemont House in 1905. (NB Provincial Archives P210-724)
Of course the building wasn't always in such a state.
"It's certainly up there with the buildings that helped define what Fredericton was," said Bird.
It sits across from Officers' Square, adjacent to the Lighthouse.
Local architectural historian John Leroux points to a time when the riverfront was a hub, when, instead of a highway, a residential street ran between Officer's Square and the river.
"There were wharves and there was all kind of activity here with the riverboats and unloading of goods, manufacturing and so on."
Architectural historian John Leroux says Lemont House is one of the
most historically important buildings in the city. (Joe McDonald)
Lemont House was lived in by the Lemont family, who were furniture dealers and owned a store on Queen Street.
Leroux called it one of the most historically important buildings in the city.
"In a social and urban aspect, it's really significant. It's the last remnants of what was here."
The building is owned by Aquilini Properties, which also owns the Crowne Plaza. For many years the hotel used the building for longer term residences.
Bird said the Heritage Trust has made several attempts to contact the owner over the past months to find out what it plans to do with the building.
But Bird said, there has never been a reply.
"No communication at all."
The City of Fredericton said it has not received any permit requests regarding the building in the past year.
Last-ditch pitch may not save century-old former factory in Saint John
John Cushnie hopes to buy time to build case for restoration
Where passing motorists on City Road see ugly, pale blue, wood siding, Cushnie sees the 100-year-old red-brick factory that was hidden behind that siding decades ago.
Earlier owners covered over many of the windows entirely, perhaps as a way to contain the loss of heat.
"It's deceptive because of the siding on the outside, but on the inside we're looking at the brickwork and everything," said Cushnie.
His dream is to remove the siding entirely, expose the windows and return the building to its original factory look, with the glass clerestory on the roof restored to let in even more light.
Cushnie has access to the necessary money, $80,000 to $150,000, to remove the siding, fix roof leaks and make it suitable for use as a workshop.
But
he's in a race against time. The building could be demolished within
weeks. To save it, he'll need to reverse a unanimous vote of city
council ordering its removal.
"The councillors that I have
spoken to have been relatively enthusiastic about the project,"
said Cushnie, who lives in Saint John and has renovated apartment
houses, which he rents out.
"I think the mayor had some sort of reservations and suggested some criteria he'd like to see before moving forward. We've met that criteria."
The City Road building has been declared dangerous and dilapidated, and several councillors surveyed by CBC News had no interest in stopping the planned demolition.
"There should be no more delays ... I voted to tear it down ASAP," said Blake Armstrong.
"This situation has happened several times in the past when someone makes a last-minute decision, and when they find out how much money it will cost to renovate the property they back out," said Deputy Mayor Shirley McAlary.
I am not in favour of a deferral of the demolition, without a solid plan from someone with experience, an immediate start date for redevelopment and proof of bank financing
- Don Darling, Saint John mayor
Cushnie would also have to gain ownership of the property, which has $65,000 in unpaid property taxes, something that puts it on course to be seized by the provincial government, which would then put it up for sale by auction.
Coun. Donna Reardon estimated that process would not be completed until April 2022, a period of time she's not willing to wait.
Coun. David Hickey said Cushnie should be given a chance if he and city enforcement staff can come up with a "clear, measured plan on this property."
He noted, however, that on several occasions in the past, such extensions have not worked out, costing the city even more money in the end.
Mayor Don Darling tweeted a response Aug. 14 to Cushnie's original pitch for the property.
"I am not in favour of a deferral of the demolition, without a solid plan from someone with experience, an immediate start date for redevelopment and proof of bank financing," said Darling.
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