Calgary Herald

KEEP HOME IN ITS PLACE

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It’s wonderful that a 120-year-old red brick house appears poised to become recognized as a municipal historic resource. The designatio­n would mean future owners of the Nimmons Residence can’t demolish or dramatical­ly alter the home, which is situated on a generously sized corner lot on 14th Street S.W.

The residence, named after its earlier owners, William and Isabelle Nimmons, is one of Calgary’s “finest examples” of Queen Anne Revival-style architectu­re, and a symbol of Calgary’s “golden age of ranching,” according to the city.

The problem is there’s the prospect the home may be shuffled to the front corner of the lot to make room for an L-shaped developmen­t. To some people, that might seem like a reasonable compromise in a city determined to increase its density, but relocating the historic home to allow for developmen­t encircling it, is unfortunat­e.

Surely, if the home is worth preserving, it’s worth ensuring it is left it its place, not pushed to the sidelines as a sop to Calgarians who care about hanging on to the vestiges of our past. The spacious surroundin­gs are part of the property’s cachet, and that will be compromise­d if the house is moved.

It’s not the first time historic assets have been relocated to accommodat­e developmen­t in the city. In an unpreceden­ted decision, city council last year removed the historic designatio­n from the 27-metre tall brick smokestack in Eau Claire. The smokestack will be moved 10 metres to the southwest to allow redevelopm­ent of the prime piece of real estate, which is ripe for renewal. Once the landmark piece of brickwork is relocated, its heritage designatio­n will be reinstated.

The smokestack’s move will pave the way for a multi-use redevelopm­ent plan that will include five towers, 1,000 residentia­l units, a hotel and an office building on the site along the Bow River.

Moving the smokestack, while regrettabl­e, isn’t as worrisome as erasing the Nimmons Residence’s context — although clearly, the ranch was larger than the lot it rests on today. If it is to be a testament to the city’s ranching roots, then the house shouldn’t be crowded by new developmen­t.

Yes, it’s private property, and the owner has the right to do with it as he or she sees fit — subject to bylaws — but it would be a shame to save the treasured residence by half measure.

Let’s hope an amicable agreement can be reached between the city and the owner to save the house — and the land it sits on.

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