One of downtown Guelph’s (more standout) characteristic structures is the Petrie building, a 100-year-old piece of history that is about to be brought into the 21st century. Standing four stories tall, the historic building has an impressive exterior facade of stamped galvanized iron that has made it a noticeable fixture of the city since its construction in 1882. The Petrie building is one of only three buildings left in Canada with this style of facade still standing; not only is it a significant piece of history for the city but it is also important to the country. In 2014, the building was listed in the top ten endangered places in Canada by the National Trust for Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of Canadian heritage sites.
Over the years, neglect and the elements have taken their toll on the building. While the ground floor has been occupied since 1976 by the Apollo 11 restaurant, the upper floors have been uninhabited for several decades. This has resulted in a steady decay of the upper floors as they have been boarded up, hiding years of unravelling construction and a significant amount of pigeon droppings. The building was purchased in March 2015 by a local company called Tyrcathlen Partners. For those who are unaware of the company’s impact on the city, Tyrcathlen Partners are dedicated to acquiring, restoring and repurposing heritage properties in the city of Guelph. Their previous successes were the Granary building that is now the Guelph Chamber of Commerce building, and the Guelph Civic Museum, which is now the Boarding House Arts building.
In a recent interview with Kirk Roberts, one of the partners involved in Tyrcathlen, Roberts explained that the first floor of the building, which is now taken up by both the Apollo 11 restaurant and Dino’s, will be replaced by a new restaurant and microbrewery. These changes will allow them to utilize the already existing equipment and setup on the first floor.
Where things become interesting for the building is on the second floor, which will be host to both the first dedicated Board Game Cafe in the city as well as a Comedy Club. This premise will also have the ability to sell alcohol on both floors, a unique trait that required Tyrcathlen Partners to secure a bylaw exemption with the City of Guelph.
“We were approached about the Board Game Cafe and thought it would be a good use of the space, as it is a new activity in Guelph and it would also allow us to retain many of the heritage features of the space,” said Roberts when asked about the decision to create a Board Game Café in the building. “It would also create another entertainment location and a new experience in the city as there are more people who want to go downtown than just those who are looking to go to a bar or club after 10:30 p.m.”
The third floor of the building will be private office space for a third tenant who can enjoy their space in one of the most iconic buildings in the city. Tyrcathlen Partners hopes the tenant will allow for the preservation of as many heritage features as possible.
These renovations, however, will require a significant amount of work, as the primary reason that the upper floors have not been used in many years is that they lack many modern necessities. The lack of heat, water and electricity alone will be a significant issue to fix in a building this age while preserving as much of the original condition as possible.
The current estimates for the cost of the renovations are sitting at just under $1.1 million, according to the City of Guelph and the Guelph Mercury. This cost is being offset partially by the city, as the Petrie building’s interior renovations were awarded the entirety of the $240,000 Minor Activation Grant under the Downtown Community Improvement plan.
Following the interior renovations, the metal facade on the exterior of the building will also be cleaned up, and will have replacement pieces fabricated to restore any of the parts that have gone missing over the years.
While this is certainly no small feat, Roberts believes that they are up to the task. “Our interest is in heritage buildings within the City of Guelph, and the Petrie building is one of the most significant historical buildings in the city. Just as with what is now the Chamber of Commerce and the Board Arts House, we see the Petrie building renovation as a way to fill a void in the community and as a way to better the city.”
While Tyrcathlen Partners are still working through permits with the city, they hope to gradually begin opening the building to the public starting in spring 2016.
It. Is about. Time.