The Renfrew Recreation Centre could potentially become a designated heritage building, but should it?
After plenty of due diligence, Town Council said ‘no’ at their meeting on Tuesday, October 10th.
That decision comes despite a commissioned cultural heritage report on the Argyle St. South building that suggests it retains enough of the original 1890’s Methodist Church it was created from to qualify.
However, that report wasn’t enough to convince Councilor Andrew Dick at the most recent Planning Committee.
Fellow committee member Kyle Cybulski adds that the site has been heavily modified from its original form since its construction, and declaring the building as heritage might keep the town from maximizing its value when they decide to move on from it.
Development & Environment Director Eric Withers would bring the committee’s recommendation against moving forward with the proposal to Council on Tuesday night, adding that not all old buildings in a town need to be considered heritage and that there are other ways to honour the site’s historical significance.
Town council agreed to only receive the report but did not direct staff to proceed with the heritage designation for the property.
(written by Kasey Egan)
