Investors convince Sarnia council not to designate it under Heritage Act

Cathy Dobson/The Independent

The chair of Sarnia’s heritage advisory committee left city hall Monday feeling “deeply disappointed” after council unanimously sided with developers rather than protect the rare architecture of a 144-year-old former church.

Evan Abma said city council is “abdicating its responsibility” to have the old Central United Church building at the corner of George and Brock streets designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Abma told council that the imposing brick church with its saddleback tower, curved sanctuary, and giant 1898 organ, was built in the Queen Anne and High Gothic Revival style and is rare in Ontario.

“You can easily argue it’s one of the most significant historical buildings in the city,” Abma said. 

But none of that swayed council after developers told them they would walk away from reinvesting in the building if it was given heritage designation.

“There is no way anyone will buy the building,” said current owner Anthony Mota of Xoana Corporation.  He represents the London-based company, which purchased the building in 2020 from the United Church. 

At the time, Xoana intended to maintain the historical façade and sanctuary, and redevelop the balance into residential apartments and commercial space.  But that plan never went forward and Mota said Xoana cannot afford to maintain the building any longer and must sell.

Another London developer, Heikal Group Inc. has made an offer to purchase that is scheduled to close in March. 

But Heikal will back out of the deal if the property is given heritage designation, said Jay McGuffin, a planning consultant representing Heikal.

“I’m advised if there is designation…the sale will not move forward,” said McGuffin.

He said Heikal is concerned the entire property will be designated, not just specific heritage features like the façade and the sanctuary.

McGuffin said his client intends to work with a heritage consultant and “adaptively reuse the existing heritage portion of the building and redevelop the 1950’s add-on…in a professional way.”

Both Heikal and Mota said heritage designation will discourage all development and the building will fall into disrepair.

“If this (sale) doesn’t go through, there’s no one else in the hopper,” Mota said.  “…If (Heikal) walks away, unfortunately this building will fall down.  I just don’t have the means.”

In an exchange that began as a show of support for the developers but quickly devolved into an angry show of disrespect toward the mayor, Councillor Bill Dennis said a heritage designation would be “ridiculous.”

“If this gets to be too much of a hassle, too complicated, what is stopping (the developers) from walking away?” Dennis asked. He called the issue “nonsense” and “more red tape.”

Mayor Mike Bradley noted that developers are working with the Ontario Heritage Act in every city in the province.

“You don’t know that,” replied Dennis who repeated twice that he was a realtor for 30 years before being elected to council. 

“You sold real estate 40 years ago and I think you sold one house,” he told the mayor.  “You don’t have the same knowledge that I have.”

“I’ve told you before about respecting the chamber,” Bradley interjected.  Dennis has been banned from attending council meetings in person for the past year after breaching the city’s workplace harassment and violence policy. He participates in city council meetings by videoconferencing.

“This to me is authoritarian,” Dennis continued.  “It’s another reason why people don’t want to do business in Sarnia.  We should not allow a committee like this to…bugger up a sale like this.”

Bradley cautioned Dennis again.  “If you don’t start showing more respect, you will be off this meeting,” he said.  “I appreciate the committee doing its job.  The amount of research they produced for us is to help us make a decision.”

Mota said that it could cost $30 million to redevelop the former church if it had heritage designation and renovations had to meet heritage standards.

Whatever the cost, the heritage committee would help any developer of a designated building to find funding, said committee chair Abma.

“We would help find local investment and like-minded people,” he said, pointing to Sarnia’s Imperial Theatre and Petrolia’s Victoria Playhouse restorations as examples of how money can be found.

Without designation status, there are no guarantees that any of the church will be salvaged, Abma said. “Now the building has zero protection.”