This article is superceded by Heritage Permit Review Committee Tables James Street Baptist Church Demo Permit Until October 9th
The Heritage Permit Review Subcommittee is meeting at 5pm today (at the same time as City Council) to review a request for a “partial demolition of the existing building” of James Street Baptist Church at the corner of Jackson and James Street.
No further details are available at this time and the agenda was only emailed to me late yesterday afternoon.
(If you want to get these agendas, you must email clerk@hamilton.ca and request agendas for all public meetings. Agendas are not published online)
The Heritage Permit Review Subcommittee is a pro-heritage committee and it is extremely unlikely they will approve any large demolition or any changes that do not respect the heritage character of the building.
James Street Baptist Church was sold last year after the church parish determined they could not afford to maintain the building.
As reported by Ryan McGreal of Raise the Hammer, the new developer “is passionate about architecture and specifically bought the building to leverage its heritage value.”
There is nothing to indicate anything untoward with the application or the extend of the proposed “partial demolition”.
I will try to leave the Council meeting to cover this.