Biker mansion razed
Demolition begins to turn Pammett house into Federation of Anglers and Hunters park
The battered former riverside mansion of biker Bob Pammett will be razed to make way for a park that will include fishing areas, interpretive trails, pollinator gardens and sun and shade shelters, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) announced Tuesday morning.
Officials gathered at the McNamara Road property on the east bank of the Otonabee River for the official kickoff for phase one of the redevelopment, the approximately $100,000 demolition of the 4,160-square-foot structure and returning the property to a natural state.
OFAH executive manager Angelo Lombardo called Tuesday an “exciting, longawaited day,” pointing out how the once-opulent home – which can be easily seen from the nearby Highway 7/115 overpass – has been an eyesore for many years.
“I look forward to erasing the stigma the former owner of this building has brought to our fine city,” he told those gathered, including representatives of the city, which owns the 2.8 acres. “We’re looking forward to what the future holds and what this project means.”
OFAH will also use the new park as an outdoor classroom to compliment the programming it offers at its adjacent Mario Cortellucci Hunting and Fishing Heritage Centre, which has hosted more than 12,000 student visitors since it opened in 2010.
The demolition, which has been paid for by sponsors and fundraising efforts, will officially get underway Wednesday. Phase two of the project this fall and winter will see the property prepared for spring enhancements expected to cost $150,000.
“There is still work to be done ... we look forward to speaking with anyone who is interested in working on the project,” Lombardo said.
Just like with OFAH’s nearby headquarters and education centre, all funding will come from fundraising – not memberships, he pointed out. A crowdfunding page has already been set up at www.gofundme.com/ riverside park project.
The conservation organization, which was established in 1928, prides itself on partnerships and this redevelopment is no exception, Lombardo said, adding that the City of Peterborough shares the vision of OFAH – which will manage the site.
Mayor Daryl Bennett – who announced a $5,000 donation to the project – called the redevelopment an “spectacular opportunity” and thanked Lombardo for looking forward. “Thank you for dwelling on the future and not the past ... this is part of our city’s history that needs to come down.”
Following the announcement, Bennett said the plan for a park was only logical because of its proximity to the water. The city also owns land across the river from the site – which is also on a flood plain, he noted.
The park, once opened, will be treated like any other, said Lombardo, who called the redevelopment a “community project for the community.”
OFAH was interested in the site from the outset and made that clear to the city when the opportunity presented itself, he said. “It’s a natural fit.”
Lombardo is also positive about the $250,000 fundraising goal, particularly given the support so far and for other projects, like its facilities around the corner on Guthrie Drive. “We’re very confident that raising the money for this is very achievable.”
The building had become a symbol of defiance and criminal activity for city police, represented Tuesday by operations Insp. Dan Smith. It began with building the structure illegally and continued with criminal activity, he said.
“We’re very pleased with this result, for sure,” he said, pointing out how costly the file has been to city police and other partners, including the RCMP and the OPP and its biker enforcement unit, when it comes to resources.
“The end result is that the fruits of that labour ... is to see the house come down today,” he said. “There is some irony in the fact that crime doesn’t pay.”
Pammett’s last chance to get the house back was denied by the Court of Appeal on Jan. 14, 2014. It was seized by the Crown in 2012 as part of the proceeds of crime after Pammett was arrested for dealing cocaine in 2008. He pleaded guilty in 2010.
Pammett, a former member of the Bandidos motorcycle club, was described in the ruling as a career criminal with 14 convictions between 1981 and 2002.
Pammett bought the property in 1988 for $120,000 and built the home in 1989. It featured four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a koi fish pond, an indoor swimming pool and a four-car garage.
Over the years, Pammett and different members of his family lived in the home at different times, court heard. He put it in the name of a corporation called Big Rot in 1993 before transferring it to his mother’s name in 2000.
It stood vacant from 2003 to 2005 before Pammett moved back in in 2005. Pammett lost the house following his 2008 arrest for trafficking cocaine. That arrest came after an undercover officer purchased drugs from Pammett after a meeting at the property, court heard.
At the seizure hearing in 2012, a local realtor testified that the stillvacant house and property were worth $749,000 in their current condition, and more with renovation and improvement. At that time, an appraiser told court the home had cost taxpayers $163,000 to maintain since it had first been seized.