CAMBRIDGE Protestors are hoping Cambridge council will change their mind on a proposed warehouse. In April, they voted unanimously to endorse a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) for a one-million square foot building at Dickie Settlement Road and Fountain Street. Residents who live in the area were frustrated with that decision, and have been vocal in their opposition. On Thursday, some of them gathered at the site of the former Preston Springs Hotel to protest the project. They say they’re upset with the lack of public consultation before council approved the MZO. According to the developer Broccolini, the warehouse would employ up to 1,400 people and would pump 150 million in investments into Cambridge.
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 4,314 cases, 81 deaths, 3,976 resolved Brant County: 1,380 cases, 12 deaths, 1,332 resolved Haldimand-Norfolk: 1,365 cases, 43 deaths, 1,262 resolved Huron Perth: 1,259 cases, 45 deaths, 1,134 recovered The City of Cambridge has released a previously confidential report detailing the long list of issues that plagued the former Preston Springs Hotel. The report, prepared by the city’s Chief Building Official Dennis Purcell dated Jan. 21, 2020, details why the building was deemed unsafe and was recommended for demolition. According to the report, the cost to make the minimum required repairs would be high, and it’s unclear if these repairs would make a difference. The Cambridge branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario is still asking the City of Cambridge for a full external review of the circumstances that led to the demolition of the former Preston Springs Hotel.
KITCHENER The City of Cambridge has released a previously confidential report detailing the long list of issues that plagued the former Preston Springs Hotel. The report, prepared by the city’s Chief Building Official Dennis Purcell dated Jan. 21, 2020, details why the building was deemed unsafe and was recommended for demolition. According to the report, the cost to make the minimum required repairs would be high, and it’s unclear if these repairs would make a difference. “Due to the significant costs and extensive amount of work to repair the building to a minimum standard and that the recommendations to do so would achieve uncertain results, demolition is deemed by the Chief Building Official to be the appropriate course of action for the sake of public safety and community well-being, the report said.
KITCHENER Cambridge city council voted to release confidential reports on plans to demolish the Preston Springs Hotel. The documents were from January 2020, when city officials originally deemed the building unsafe. The hotel was empty for 30 years before the city s chief building officer issued an emergency order on Christmas Eve to tear it down. Demolition started on the morning on Dec. 31. The Cambridge chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario was in court that morning to get an injunction to save the hotel. Demolition paused briefly that afternoon, but then went on due to unsafe conditions. The group is now calling for a public inquiry into why the Preston Springs was torn down.
KITCHENER The former Preston Springs Hotel sat empty for 30 years before the chief building officer for the City of Cambridge issued an emergency order for it to come down. Officials had been debating for years about the future of the property, which once boasted a famous clientele including baseball legend Babe Ruth, as it degraded while being exposed to the elements. According to a report included in the council agenda for Thursday evening, the city had tried to work with several owners of the Fountain Street property on ideas to restore the building. However, a viable solution proved complicated and cost-prohibitive, the report read in part. City officials also cited challenges in keeping the building secure, while noting that the building eventually entered an advanced state of deterioration and structural decay.