FAITH IN HISTORY
Empty mattress factory being redesigned to welcome and support local artists
Mary Lambros, owner of the Walkerville Theatre, stands across the street outside her latest heritage-preserving venture: converting the former home of the Monarch Mattress Manufacturing Co. into a new community creative hub supporting local artists, “a centre where young people can go to do something creative.”
Mary Lambros just wanted more parking.
Now, she’s reviving her second historic building in the 1500 block of Wyandotte Street East. Her vision has evolved, dramatically.
Lambros and her husband, Andrew, bought the Olde Walkerville Theatre in 2013 because she was fed up with the “ghastly eyesore” next to her then-restaurant, Loreli’s Bistro. She also wanted more parking. Then she saw the proscenium, the vaulted arch over the stage in the grand, century-old theatre designed by Howard Crane, who designed the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
They’ve since poured at least $500,000 into restoring its splendour.
Two years later, she bought the vacant Monarch Mattress Manufacturing Co. across the street. She wanted more parking. Now, with the two-by-fours and drywall delivered, she hopes to start reviving it this week, creating a vibrant entrance to what will become the new Distillery District.
“We’re hoping to make this whole block the cultural hub of the Walkerville district, where we have the big theatre, the little theatre, we can entertain local bands, support local people trying to get their names out, support local artists,” said project manager Jon Renaud, who also manages the theatre.
The sprawling, 12,000-squarefoot building — actually three buildings — began as the Tivoli Pool Room in 1914. It’s listed on Windsor’s municipal heritage register. Eventually, there were two restaurants, a car parts distributor and two apartments. It became the Monarch Mattress Manufacturing Co. in 1948. After almost 70 years, Monarch closed in 2015.
The Tivoli doesn’t have the grandeur of the theatre, but it has its charms. The “fabulous” original hardwood floors are being refinished. A manufacturer in Michigan is using a mould of the original tin ceiling tiles to make new ones to replace the broken ones.
The old pool room will become the Garage Door Theatre, a small theatre for performances and rehearsals.
“One of the things I find lacking is a centre where young people can go to do something creative,” Lambros said. “There’s no place for them to rehearse, do small performances.”
Said Renaud: “Bands can start there and work their way to the bigger theatre.”
It’s scheduled to host the Fringe Fest, with 23 international acts, in May.
There will also be an artists’ workshop to learn everything from knitting to oil painting. Three retail stores will front Wyandotte. Each will feature a different architectural style and colour to make them look like three different buildings because they were originally separate addresses. A concrete path leading to a former alcove was discovered under four layers of flooring. The alcove, a common feature in the past, will be restored.
Lambros is promising affordable rent that Renaud believes will allow local artists to start and grow their own businesses. Two apartments upstairs will also be refurbished, providing residential space above the commercial space, something the city is encouraging to bring more people to commercial areas. The front of the building, clad in layers of vinyl siding and rotting wood, will be stripped and re-faced. Lambros wants it to look like it did when it was built. “We’re hoping someone out there knows what it looked like,” said Renaud. “We’re trying to find some pictures of the pool hall, people who visited there, and artifacts.” A giant portrait of Hiram Walker will be painted on the lobby floor off Gladstone, part of an effort to incorporate the history of not only the whiskey magnate but the whole area. Finally, the gravel parking lot next to the building will be converted to a small park with interlocking brick, plants and benches. It will be used for events like markets and concerts.
All told, Lambros, who paid $450,000 for the building, expects to spend another $450,000 resurrecting it, including new heating, cooling and electrical systems and plumbing. There have been obstacles, as usual. There have been delays obtaining permits — “You’ve got to do this.” “Nobody told you you have to do that?” — that caused Lambros to have to cancel shows she had already scheduled for the space.
A fire left part of the building charred, causing $250,000 in damages. Pipes burst. While the theatre must be ready by May, work on the facade, apartments and park will continue in the summer.
“It’s a big undertaking, but we have faith,” Lambros said. Added Renaud: “We’re hoping the community loves it and supports it.”
One of the things I find lacking is a centre where young people can go to do something creative.