Live Central has community support to convert the Metropolitan Bible Church on Bank Street into lofts.
The Centretown community has rallied behind a controversial Bank Street development they previously opposed, which will integrate the old Metropolitan Bible Church building front into new condos and stores, says Shawn Menard, Centretown Citizens’ Community Association president.
“I think it’s a good spot to have that sort of building,” says Menard.
“After reviewing the project a little bit more and hearing information from [community association] members, it seems a lot more amiable to the surroundings and location.”
The new building, slated to begin construction in mid October, will sit between Gladstone, Bank and McLeod streets.
It will showcase retail on Bank Street and condo units on Gladstone Avenue against the backdrop of the preserved church wall.
“It’s a very important corner for Centretown,” says Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes. “The people in the community and the people in that area have wanted development there for a very long time.”
The new building will be nine stories high, five stories above what the heritage conservation district plan states, which is still upsetting some groups.
“It’s out of scale,” says Jay Baltz, chair of the local architectural conservation committee.
“What’s the point of having a heritage conservation district plan if you’re not going to in fact build anything near what you say?”
However, David Wex, the project’s developer with Urban Capital Property Group, says this area of Bank Street is also classified as a mid-rise building area, which the nine stories falls under.
Menard says height was one of two important factors the community considered before agreeing with the design, and feels the nine stories is acceptable for the location.
Environmental sustainability was also taken into account.
“That’s what we wanted,” he says. “If those two things were looked at a bit more, I think people would have been a little more in favor of it right away.”
The project has also been given Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification, noted Holmes, which identifies it as a green building.
Platinum is the highest LEED level.
“We’re trying to use as little water as possible and as little energy,” she says.
The city has approved the development and is now waiting for construction, says Holmes.
Wex says they are obtaining permits and planned to hold a launch party on Thursday.
The work will begin by bracing the old church front and then lowering the wall into the excavated basement of the new building.
Once the foundation is complete, the front wall will be lifted back up and secured into place.
There is a chance of damaging the wall, but Wex says this construction plan was the best option for safety reasons.
“It’s a very tricky operation, but to leave it in place while we build around it was just too dangerous for the workers below,” he says.
Major disruption to Bank Street during this process is not expected.
Just under 200 of the 233 condo units have sold in the new building, says Wex. Residents are expected to move in the summer of 2011.