Developer moves to demolish site of former Kent brewery, appeal its heritage status

Heritage advocates are concerned that a developer is moving to demolish the former home of a London brewery that dates from the 1860s, a building city council voted to grant heritage designation three years ago.

York Developments has applied to take down a group of buildings at the corner of Ann and St. George Streets, just west of Richmond Row. The company has also filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) of city council's 2022 decision to grant heritage status to some of the buildings on the lot.

The yellow brick buildings at 197 Ann St., currently the office of an auto repair business, is the former site of the Kent Brewery. An adjacent building is home to former Kent brewmaster Joseph Hamilton. The brewery began operating in the 1860s.

City council in 2022 approved an application by York to redevelop the site into a 22-storey student apartment building on the property with 214 units. At the time it was approved, council also voted to put the property on the city's heritage registry.

During the debate over York's application, some city council members expressed hope that some of the brewery's original architectural elements might be incorporated into the final design.

CBC News reached out to York Development for comment but did not receive a reply. Meanwhile, local heritage advocates are hoping some elements of the original brewery will be retained.

"We were rather surprised that this was happening at this point," said Margaret Whalley, a board member of the London branch of Architectural Conservancy Ontario, a group that works to preserve heritage buildings.

Whalley said she's hopeful York will "make a real effort" to conserve parts of the original buildings.

"Particularly the brewery because it's rather special," she said. "Sometimes we hear about developers who plan to use part of the facade or something, then later claiming that they're not able to do it."

York filed the demolition application with the city on April 4. It covers all the buildings on the corner of Ann and St. George Street, including 175, 183 and 197 Ann, along with 84 and 86 St. George.

Under the demolition application process, city council has 90 days from the application date to make a decision.

York's appeal of the heritage designation with the OLT was filed in 2023. The case conference in that filing is scheduled for May 16.

Coun. David Ferreira, who represents the downtown ward where the buildings are located, is hopeful the developer can find a way to work some elements of the brewery into the final design.

"That would be ideal for me," said Ferreira. "I want to protect our heritage because we are rapidly developing and I'm very fearful that in our rapid development ... we lose sight of the historical context of where we came from, especially in the downtown core."

City council's planning committee will consider York's request for demolition at a public participation meeting scheduled for May 21.