• Considerable time, effort, and funds have been invested to maintain, repair, renovate, or restore many private properties in the 500 Lots - Charlottetown's Historic City Centre.
• These revived properties increase in value and become assets for the owners, local residents, the neighbourhood and by association, for downtown businesses and all of Charlottetown’s residents and visitors.
• Each and every building in the 500 Lots contributes to the historical ‘sense of place’.
• Failing to maintain and repair properties until they are unsafe creates the scenario for ‘demolition by neglect’ – setting a dangerous precedent in historical districts.
• The century home at 231 Richmond Street (circa 1888, Goad Fire Insurance Map), while neither unsafe nor unsound, is facing demolition as the PEI Housing Corporation, a Crown Corporation responsible for providing social/low income housing, has left it vacant since 2017 rather than repairing it and using it for housing.
• Despite efforts of local homeowners to encourage the PEI Housing Corporation to join them in their efforts to choose a more environmentally sustainable and heritage preservation approach to the property located in the historic 500 Lots, the PEI Housing Corporation has proceeded down the path of demolition.
• A Reconsideration Request filed with the City of Charlottetown to revoke the demolition permit (cover letter below) was denied.
• The case will appear before the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC), Nov14, 2023 (File #LA23-009)
• The IRAC appeal was eventually dismissed on jurisdictional grounds in Dec 2024, before arguments could be heard
• all documents accessible at  link to IRAC documents
• Please consider adding your name to show the City of Charlottetown and the Provincial Government your support for maintaining and protecting our built heritage.

 

Links that may be of interest:

6-ways-to-stop-demolition-by-neglect     (short read)

93 King Street also at risk of demolition

https://www.change.org/Designate_93_King_Street

Cover letter to City Hall for Reconsideration Request (April 2023)

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The property in question, at 231 Richmond Street, owned by the PEI Housing Corporation, sits in harmony with and supports the rich unbroken streetscape of surrounding, numerous designated properties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1.  Views of 231 Richmond Street from (a) the corner of Hensley looking to Hillsborough Street and (b) from Hillsborough looking to Hensley Streets

 

The only reason presented for demolition of 231 Richmond Street during the Planning Board meeting February 7, 2022, was an engineer’s report deeming it “too cost prohibitive to make habitable”.  At no point, were the words “unsafe” or “unsound” used.

The 500 Lots area is filled with renovated and restored properties - undoubtedly costly to make habitable – that now rejuvenate and beautify streetscapes and enhance the distinctive charm and character of this downtown neighbourhood. This is  enjoyed by all City residents, visitors, and tourists.  The distinctiveness and vitality of the 500 Lots contributes to the economic engine of the City, and the Province and their tourism industry.  Each and every building contributes. Every demolition permit that is issued slowly and steadily whittles away at this ambience, breaking up the continuity and historic sense of place of the 500 Lots. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2. Street diagram (Google maps) of the area in downtown Charlottetown surrounding the site (grey rectangle) of the proposed demolition. Many neighbouring properties are recognised designated heritage resources (solid red) and potential resources (broken red lines)

The City of Charlottetown should be ensuring that these properties are maintained, protected, restored and leveraged for this purpose as outlined in the Official Plan.  Actively enabling the practice of “demolition by neglect” is a slippery slope that results in the loss of rich heritage buildings that make up the fabric of the downtown.  In this case, a subsidised housing unit that has sat empty for at least five years rather than housing Charlottetown residents is now at risk of being demolished. 

At similar risk, are lower rental units which, left unmaintained, conveniently become “too cost prohibitive to make habitable”.  What is the measuring stick for ‘too cost prohibitive’?  Many residents and homeowners in the 500 Lots invest significant time, energy, and private funds to repair, maintain, restore and/or renovate these properties - often requiring Heritage Board review and approval.

The City has a Planning and Heritage Department that with one hand encourages and provides some financial and advisory support for these endeavours; yet with the other, issues demolition permits requiring only the signatures of a Development Officer and a Building Inspector.  While the former is consistent with the Official Plan which recognises the value of all of the properties in the 500 Lots and the need to preserve, restore and celebrate them – the latter is not.

Why should a property owner bother to put any effort into their properties when the City will allow others to simply neglect their properties, leaving them vacant and allowing them to fall into disrepair, with the goal of demolishing them? 

Sanction of the ‘demolition by neglect’ approach for 231 Richmond Street sets a very dangerous precedent and risks disincentivizing further private investment in similar properties. Each and every building counts.  If adopted on a wider scale, the resulting disruption of the fabric and ‘sense of place’ in the 500 Lots area will be irreversibly lost. The City should be seriously considering the consequences of this approach in the long term.

There is also an element of sustainability involved.  The environmental costs of the destruction plus costs for production and transport of new materials added to the loss of the embodied energy in the existing structure should be considered.

I am respectfully requesting that the City reconsider its decision to permit demolition of 231 Richmond Street.