Rendering of front of event venue redevelopment of former Grey County courthouse. (image from developer presentation, Sept. 11, 2023)
A few structures at the old Grey County courthouse and jail properties in Owen Sound are going to be demolished.
Owen Sound’s community services committee endorsed a staff recommendation at a Dec. 18 to permit the demolition of some structures specific to the jail property, including a single-storey garage, miscellaneous accessory buildings and some non-original additions to the 1854 jail.
Two years ago, the city sold the former courthouse and jail properties at 1235 and 1259 3rd Avenue East to an investor — Nick Ainis, FC Entertainment and Hospitality — who plans to turn them into a wedding venue, dining and entertainment complex and shared workspace area.
Both properties have sat vacant since 2014.
The courthouse is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act; the jail property is listed on the city’s heritage registry.
Owen Sound’s Manager of Planning and Heritage Sabine Robart told committee members a heritage impact assessment and heritage conservation plan were completed as part of the site plan process for the properties.
She says those plans have helped determine what features at the properties have historic value and how to protect and maintain those in the redevelopment.
“I think we can appreciate the redevelopment of this property is a significant undertaking and has huge challenges,” Robart says. “Heritage features and attributes being one of them … and just trying to bring a building that hasn’t actively been used back to life.”
“There are really, really significant financial resources required to do this … the developer has bought this property because he wants to see it redeveloped, because a core part of this property is those historical features and the atmosphere created through that,” she continues. “And over the past two years as we’ve worked with this developer, we have the sense he is really committed to maintaining those features as much is possible.”
Robart’s report to committee says the intention is to designate the entire development as one at the end of the process, to allow the developer more flexibility “to redevelop the existing buildings and structures on the subject lands.”
In an update to council last year, FC Entertainment and Hospitality shared some images of its vision for the downtown properties and the plan to turn them into an entertainment venue with community spaces as well. Council also approved zoning bylaw and official plan amendments last year for the proposed redevelopment.