City Council Acknowledges Receipt Of Intention to Demolish Portion of GE Building

City Council has endorsed acknowledging receipt of a notice of intention to demolish a portion of General Electric’s industrial buildings at 107 Park St. N. during their meeting on Monday night.

The complex, which is currently developed with approximately 104,000 square metres (1.1 million square feet) of building area, dates back to 1891 and is a central part of Peterborough’s industrial heritage. Architecturally, the GE complex typifies late nineteenth and early-twentieth-century factory design through its integration of late Victorian design features onto the exterior of its industrial spaces. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Council states that it has no interest in pursuing heritage designation for 107 Park St. N., except for certain identified buildings. It will consult with the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee on the appropriateness of designating these buildings and report back to Council.

On Sept. 8, property owner GEPR Energy Canada Inc., (a subsidiary of GE Vernova) gave the City a 60-day notice of its intent to demolish almost 84,500 square metres (910,000 sq/ft) of industrial building area in accordance with subsection 27(9) of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.18 (“the Act”).

The Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) prepared on behalf of GE Vernova proposes a series of mitigation strategies to preserve heritage elements on site, including the preservation of certain buildings on the property, while also accommodating the proposed demolition. The HIA concludes that the proposed development for the site (i.e., building demolitions and retention) appropriately conserves the site’s cultural heritage value and attributes, and reflects best practice in Canadian heritage conservation. The author of the HIA, ERA Architects Inc., specializes in heritage conservation, architecture, planning and landscape and holds various professional memberships.

The General Electric Factory Complex at 107 Park St. N. is listed on the City’s Heritage Register as a property of cultural heritage value or interest. The property is not designated; it is a ‘listed’ property on the register according to the City.

After Council received the notice of intent to demolish (unless negotiated otherwise), they have until Nov. 7 to determine whether they wish to issue a notice of intention to designate the property under Part IV, subsection 29(1) of the Act; otherwise, the proposed demolition may proceed subject to applicable law.

The majority of the buildings on site have been vacant since 2018 ,except for 60 GE Vernova employees located in buildings at the southeast corner of the site along Park Street and approximately 300 BWXT employees located in buildings at the west limit of the site along Monaghan Road.

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General Electric to Demolish Several Sections at Park Street Building

The General Electric (GE) Vernova building, located at the corner of Park Street and Albert Street, plans to demolish buildings until only eight remain.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

GE had submitted a Notice of Intent to demolish several vacant buildings and a Site Plan approval from the City of Peterborough. A Heritage Impact Assessment for the City Council's review has also been given.

Last year, GE Vernova retained the Canadian engineering firm BBA to assess the condition of the unused buildings. The evaluation found that these old manufacturing buildings are at or past their useful service life and in poor condition.

“Most of these buildings have already begun to show signs of structural degradation, which could create a future safety risk if not managed properly now,” as stated in a GE Vernova press release. “After careful consideration of the options, GE Vernova has determined that the best course of action is to demolish them.”

The company has a plan to preserve the legacy that the site has maintained.

“GE Vernova also understands the significance this property holds for many members of the community, and wishes to honour its past, present, and future commitment to the Peterborough community,” according to a statement. “In recognition of this, the company is working with ERA Architects, an award-winning Canadian architecture firm, to stabilize, conserve and maintain eight buildings that are architecturally important and represent meaningful time periods in the history of the site.”

The company states that it is considering the best way to commemorate the site's history in the long term, while making aesthetic enhancements to the property’s perimeter.

GE plans to work with the City to minimize neighbourhood disruptions during the transitional period.

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Peterborough's Iconic GE Plant Is Closing Fall 2018

DEVELOPING STORY...

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GE, which has been a staple in Peterborough for 125 years, has just announced it will be closing its plant here in Fall 2018, resulting in the loss of about 350 jobs.

Mayor Daryl Bennett just released this statement to the public...

"My immediate concern is for the workers and the families in our community affected by this winding down of General Electric’s operations in Peterborough. It will be a difficult time for many residents who are connected with GE or who have historical ties to this company. This year marked the 125th anniversary of GE in Canada, starting here in Peterborough in 1892.

The winding down of GE in Peterborough is a business decision that’s directly related to the slow down in orders from the oil and gas industry. It’s a drastic reversal from 2014 when GE announced that it would be adding up to 250 new jobs in Peterborough to build motors for the TransCanada Energy East pipeline, which has been delayed through the application process. Instead, GE has had to reduce the size of its workforce in Peterborough over the last several years. I understand it currently employs about 358 workers, well down from the 6,000 people employed by GE in Peterborough in the 1960s.

We are looking forward to the continued presence of BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada, which purchased GE’s nuclear energy business last year.

In the coming days, I will be requesting a meeting with both our MP and our MPP to discuss how our governments can assist with securing our community’s long-term economic foundation. Over the years, we have asked for assistance and approvals for employment land growth, the VIA Rail proposal for a new High Frequency Rail service through Peterborough, and local transportation network improvements needed to support growth. We need to continue to diversify our economy and to build the infrastructure that supports job creation."

Seems like everybody's dad worked at GE when I was growing up https://t.co/rWrOOkAm2T

— gary lawless (@garylawless) August 25, 2017

UPDATE: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development President & CEO Rhonda Keenan has released the following statement...

“As General Electric announces the winding down of their operations in Peterborough, this is a challenging day for the community we serve. Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development continues to work collaboratively with our region’s businesses and local stakeholders in order to diversify our economy, attract and retain talent and investment, and provide local businesses with the support and resources that they need to grow.

Our next steps are to work with our local partners and agencies in order to support GE Canada and their staff during this time of transition.

We look forward to the continued presence of BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada, and providing them with the support their business needs to thrive and grow in our community."

MP Maryam Monsef released this statement on her Facebook page...

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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