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Old town hall plan OK'd
Posted By MICHAEL-ALLAN MARION, EXPOSITOR STAFF
The Paris old town hall will have renewed life as a heritage, arts and
culture mecca.
Brant County council has approved a plan submitted by a group of
advocates led by Deano Wilson Rouse and their benefactor, developer
Gabriel Kirchberger of G. K. York Management Services, to buy the
property and make space available at affordable rates to interested
organizations, with the help of temporary tax exempt status.
Under the plan, Kirchberger would buy the Burwell Street hall --
believed to be the only remaining Gothic structure of its kind in Canada
--from current owner John Runnquist for $700,000. He will then undertake
renovations to make it usable for the interests of arts groups.
Council agreed this week to a tax rebate plan, but limited it to five
years, with a provision for an extension of another five.
"I'm happy that it passed," said Rouse, "but we have a lot of
discussions to go through yet."
Kirchberger said he was disappointed that council shortened the tax
exempt status to five years, but was prepared to move forward.
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"Ten would make me feel better, but five is
a start," he said. "We will have to talk to the next council to get
another five years." Kirchberger
and the advocates have until April to submit their documents and a
business plan.
According to a tentative plan, the ground floor would be made available
for theatre productions and the recurring antique auctions that have
long graced the premises. There could also be room for the Brant Museum
and Archives, which is in desperate need of more space.
Kirchberger said he is pleased to be involved in the effort to save
another historic building in Brant.
Through his companies, he has already converted parts of the Penman
textile buildings in Paris into affordable housing, and redone th e
Temple Building and Commercial Hotel on Dalhousie Street in downtown
Brantford.
Conditions
Among other conditions, developer Gabriel Kirchberger must:
Acquire a heritage designation to protect the building;
Draw up a preservation plan showing how he would conserve the property's
heritage features;
Allow periodic inspections without notice so county staff can ensure
that the condition of the building
and its historic components are acceptable. |
