Former YMCA project about to begin

Two additions on the historic former Peterborough YMCA may be under demolition as soon as next week, says the developer who’s converting the building into apartments.

Hans Jain, president of Torontobased Atria Development Corp., is about to convert the former Y downtown into the Y Lofts.

He’s planning 130 upscale apartments and he says construction is about to start. He’d like to have people moving in by the fall of 2018.

But first, there’s going to be some demolition.

Jain said he won’t touch the oldest part of the building, from 1895 (which includes the turret). That’s protected by a heritage designation.

But the addition along George Street, from 1934, is going to be torn down. So is the addition along Murray Street (which used to be the main entrance of the Y).

There could be demolition crews arriving within days, Jain said.

“We’re mobilizing,” he said. “By next week, workers will be on site.” That’s a shame, said one citizen. Ed Smith once tried to start a Peterborough branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, but he said it failed for lack of local support.

He thinks the entire YMCA building should be saved – not just the oldest part.

“Otherwise, everything is up for compromise,” he said. “Then a developer says, ‘They are into compromise.’”

Smith, who has restored two heritage houses near downtown, uses the adage that Jane Jacobs lived by: Everything is connected to everything else.

Case in point: The Black Horse and The Pig ’s Ear, two historic bars in the same area of downtown that a local developer, Parkview Homes, plans to demolish.

Jain was shocked to hear, on Wednesday, that Parkview Homes wanted to remove those two buildings outright.

“Really? But Peterborough loves its old buildings,” he said.

On the other hand, Jain said it’s pricey to convert old buildings – he’s planning to spend $40 million to construct the Y Lofts.

The bricks on the turret are deteriorating and need to be restored one at a time, for example – which won’t be cheap.

“And the windows need to be restored – it’s quite a job, but the exterior will remain intact,” he said.

Jain said the reason the additions need to be torn down is to allow proper emergency exits and hallways for tenants.

He said preservation only works when you’re willing to allow some degree of change. Otherwise older buildings can sit there for years, deteriorating.

“Preservation – yes,” he said. “But you have to understand: You have to move forward with these old buildings .... It’s a delicate balance.”

Still, Smith says city council should have put its foot down.

He sees a connection between the way council handled the historic Y and the prospective loss of the Pig ’s Ear and the Black Horse.

On Monday, councillors are expected to ratify a plan to refrain from placing heritage designations on the two bars.

If those buildings are razed it’ll be a “scandal,” Smith said.

Both bars are examples of 19th century architecture that make the downtown special – and once they’re gone, they’re lost forever.

“No more compromise,” Smith said.