Brownstone-inspired townhouses are one step closer to being built in Stratford’s downtown core.
A new development at 203 Waterloo St. S got a heritage permit at Monday night’s Stratford city council meeting.
“The Bradshaw Towns,” as the development is proposed, will be a 10-unit, three-storey, stacked townhouse complex at the corner of Waterloo Street South and Falstaff Street, if completed.
It is right on the edge of the city’s heritage conservation district, thus requiring the permit.
A heritage impact assessment (HIA) was completed and included in the meeting’s agenda. It justified how the development conforms to the standards of the district – and the history of the site itself.
“The site may have been developed as early as 1840,” reads the assessment done by Bright Past Heritage Consulting Inc. “And has been used for a variety of different commercial uses, including a stable, hotel, automotive repair garage, bowling alley, and vacant land.”
One particular bit of history included in the report is the story of Ken Vinen, owner of the Kent Hotel at the site from 1980 to 1997.
Identified as a “music man,” Vinen was “known as a jack of all trades locally, with an earnest love for all things music … Mr. Vinen’s legacy in Stratford is best conserved through his esteemed musical collection and his former bed and breakfast establishment ‘Woods Villa.’”
In 2003, the Kent Hotel was burned down and in 2004 the Bowl-Mor Lanes, which was also located on the property, was demolished. The land has since been vacant.
Coun. Bonnie Henderson expressed disappointment in the lack of accessibility in the development, since the units will have steps to access the front doors.
The permit was approved unanimously by council.
