Developer to proceed with demolition, plans new 5-storey buildings

The developer who wants to tear down The Pig’s Ear and The Black Horse says he’s pleased that city councillors decided to forego a heritage designation on the buildings.

Paul Dietrich, the owner of Parkview Homes, called it “good news”.

“We want to proceed with demolition, per the permits we have in hand,” he said.

Dietrich bought the Pig ’s Ear in January and recently acquired The Black Horse (although that deal has yet to close).

He’s already been granted demolition permits from City Hall and he plans to replace the historic buildings with a pair of five-storey apartment buildings.

But the city’s architectural conservancy committee recommended that council place a heritage designation on the buildings to keep them from being razed.

On Monday, councillors could’ve gone along with that recommendation at a committee meeting – but they didn’t.

Instead, they voted to have Dietrich work with city staff to come up with a design for the two new apartment buildings.

The idea is to present a design to councillors that they think will work well in the downtown – and that will retain some of the history.

On Tuesday, Dietrich said that might mean reusing some of the building materials from the historic buildings – like perhaps the brick – for a heritage display in the lobby.

He said he spoke to each councillor on the weekend and said he’d be spending $20 million to build the new residences.

He wants to demolish the historic buildings as soon as late summer or early fall of 2017, he said.

The Pig ’s Ear is scheduled to close April 22. It’s still unclear whether the Black Horse will close or relocate. Ray Kapoor, the owner of the pub, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.

The Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) had recommended a heritage designation to council.

Stewart Hamilton, the chairman of PACAC, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.

One local lawyer says it’s a disgrace that councillors didn’t vote to save the buildings.

Ann Farquharson pointed out that the buildings have historic value, according to a report from the city’s own heritage preservation office. Both buildings are examples of 19th century architecture in Peterborough’s downtown.

“None of that matters when a developer throws around a number of $20 million and makes it clear he wants to tear the buildings

down,” she wrote in a note to The Examiner.

Farquharson said she was shocked and disappointed that council bowed to a developer’s will.

“This is a sad day for the city – this isn’t progress,” Farquharson wrote. “When will council quit bowing to the financial blackmail of developers who say they are going to take their suitcase of money and go home if they don’t get everything they want? This is posturing.”

Farquharson cites the example of the former YMCA downtown. Another developer – Atria, of Oshawa – is planning to build apartments in that building too.

The plan is to keep the historic exterior intact; that building has a heritage designation.

Meanwhile, council’s 5-4 decision isn’t final. The plan to forego a heritage designation has to be ratified at a council meeting next Monday.

Citizens get to speak to council about it before the final vote.