Bricks could be used in new facades in redevelopment

The new apartment buildings that will replace The Pig’s Ear and The Black Horse could potentially reuse building materials – such as old brick – to create new facades, says the developer.

Paul Dietrich, the owner of Parkview Homes, wants to raze the two historic bars and build something new.

But he’s agreed to work with city staff to come up with a design that preserves some of the heritage that exists right now.

City council insisted on it at a meeting on Monday – and Dietrich says he’s willing to do that.

He said his architect, Neil Campbell, is already coming up with a design – and also that there will be good ideas coming from city staff.

“There’s a lot of talent there,” he said.

Dietrich already has demolition permits to tear down the two buildings, even though the real estate deals aren’t completed yet.

He sought permission from the current owners to apply for the permits.

Pig’s Ear owners Lylie Ryder and John Punter told council on Monday they don’t want a heritage designation placed on their building to save it from the wrecking ball – they said want to sell the building and retire.

Black Horse owner Ray Kapoor told The Examiner recently that he doesn’t want a heritage protection for his building either – he’s pleased to sell to Dietrich, and allow demolition and redevelopment.

Dietrich said on Tuesday he’s planning about 50 apartments or condos, which will likely house about 100 people.

Right now, there are six apartments on the upper floors of the two popular bars.

“So we’re looking at a tenfold increase in the number of residents,” Dietrich said, which means more people living downtown. “And that’s great, right?”

On Monday, council seemed to agree with him: they voted 7-2 to forego heritage designations on the buildings (which would have protected the two bars from demolition).

Only two councillors – Coun. Diane Therrien and Coun. Gary Baldwin – voted against the motion (they wanted the buildings to remain standing). Coun. Dean Pappas, declaring a conflict, abstained.

Prior to the vote, more than a dozen citizens tried to persuade council not to allow the buildings to be torn down.

Two of them were members of the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC), which had recommended that council place heritage designations on the buildings.

Stewart Hamilton, the chairman of PACAC, said lots of other cities have had their heritage buildings all razed in their central cores.

“Downtowns have been totally obliterated, over the years,” he said.

Ivan Bateman, a member of PACAC, called for the demolition permits to be withdrawn. He said the buildings shouldn’t just be knocked down.

“They were built with muscles, shovels and sweat,” he said.

Dennis Carter-Edwards said this will be a precedent-setting moment if council bows to the developer’s plans.

“Who will control the future development of our core? Will it be the developers, waving big cheques? Or the citizens? Or planners?” he said.

“Show the same vision that saved Market Hall from the wrecker’s ball.”