Town defers King’s Navy Yard Park heritage status until work is done
Amherstburg council decided Monday night to wait until waterfront development is complete before finalizing heritage status for King’s Navy Yard Park.
“Even though we could move forward in individual pieces, it just makes more sense to say we’re going to finish that park real soon anyway, so let’s just do the whole property,” said Mayor Aldo DiCarlo. “That will put us in a position to say, ‘Here’s one giant property, how do we designate this whole thing a heritage property?’ ”
A report from town administration states Navy Yard Park is made up of 11 parcels that can be designated individually or as one unit.
The report gives several options that include making designations through individual bylaws or creating a heritage district designation for the entire park land under a single bylaw.
DiCarlo said council plans to create a single designation. But they took some other advice of administration Monday and decided to wait until future waterfront development, including for the former Duffy’s property, is complete before making the designation.
A heritage status would mean that approval would be required from council before any changes could be made to the park.
The park has a rich history with ties to ship building before the War of 1812 and as a landing point for people escaping slavery in the United States.
British Gen. Isaac Brock and Shawnee Chief Tecumseh met at Fort Amherstburg to plan the attack of Fort Detroit.
In 1813, after losing the Battle of Lake Erie and HMS Detroit, which was built at the local navy yard, the British destroyed the fort and retreated.
The Americans built Fort Malden, which the British reclaimed after the war.