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+ Council decision on the 102-year old Gordon T. Legg Residence
Gordon T. Legg Residence
Built 1899
1245 Harwood Street
After a long and exhausting process, Council on Tuesday May 31, 2011, did not support the scheme that would have preserved the Heritage A-Listed Legg Residence at 1245 Harwood through the use of 26,000 square feet of onsite bonus density.
Staff addressed all of the issues regarding outright and permitted zoning, and the HRA process. Except for Councillor Meggs, who demonstrated a clear understanding of the process, most of the Councillors hid behind issues that had already been addressed by staff and did not seem to acknowledge that the issues regarding the Tulip Tree were decided by Council in 2010, when they did not support its retention. They played extensively to the audience, which was mostly comprised of West End residents.
In a convoluted and political decision, Mayor Robertson, and Councillors Jang, Stephenson, Chow, Woodsworth and Reimer supported Councillor Louie's motion not to support the proposal and to refer it back to staff. Councillors Deal and Cadman were absent. Councillor Meggs was the only voice who supported the proposal, and did not support Louie's motion. Councillor Anton did not support the motion, but stated that she did not support the project. Councillor Stephenson stated flatly that he could have supported it if it was rental housing, which was much more of a priority for the West End than heritage conservation.
It is unlikely that the applicants will proceed with a revised scheme, and after further discussions with staff may well revert to an 11-story, 80-foot wide tower that would not have to be referred to Council.
If so, the Legg Residence will be demolished, the first time that an A-listed heritage resource will be demolished since 1989, when the Georgia Medical Dental Building was imploded.
This is a very disappointing day for Vancouver's Heritage Conservation Program, which clearly has few viable incentives left to preserve significant heritage structures. Support for heritage under this Council is at historically low levels.
Background
The Legg Residence is one of the few surviving grand estate homes built in the West End at the end of the 19th century. This house was under construction in July 1899, just 12 years after the arrival of the CPR railway. The Klondike Gold Rush had ushered in a brief wave of prosperity, and the city’s wealthier citizens were developing a number of grand residences, such as Gabriola on Davie Street, in the desirable West End. Gordon T. Legg, who arrived in Vancouver in 1889, was the manager of Union Steamships of BC, and was one of the founders of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. Designed in the British Arts and Crafts style, the house – with its broad overhanging jerkin-headed roof – typifies the style and grace of the late Victorian era and the patriotic connections to the Mother Country of many of Vancouver's elite.
This very significant late Victorian-era estate house will be demolished unless the City of Vancouver approves an onsite density bonus of 26,000 square feet. The density cannot be transferred offsite as the Heritage Density Bank has been frozen since August 2007. Since the proposal has been turned down by council, the owner will have the right to build an 11-storey condo tower on this site instead of the proposed 18-storey tower, and entirely demolish both the historic house, gardens, and tulip tree.
The owner had put forth a new proposal to build an 18-storey onsite tower that is required to absorb the heritage bonus density necessary to offset the costs associated with saving the house. He has also indicated that if this proposal is not accepted he will demolish the Legg Residence. The City’s Advisory Design Panel has given the proposal its approval but the tower is meeting with resistance from some people in the neighbourhood. Unfortunately, the City of Vancouver is not accepting density into its heritage density bank at this time, thus forcing the owner to absorb the heritage density on site.
The city does not have any other meaningful incentives it can offer building owners to cover the cost of restoring heritage buildings.
Additional information
> Project proposal, City of Vancouver, DE414280
> Minutes of the Urban Design Panel (PDF, 137k)
> Minutes of the Vancouver Heritage Commission (PDF, 37k)
> Our Top 10 Endangered Sites listing for the Legg Residence
> Our most recent letter to City Council (PDF, 244k)
Thank you for your support!
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