| A plan to sell off part of the Wesley United Church downtown to make way for a condominium development has some people worried about the future of the historical building. But church council members say they are doing everything they can to preserve the building – and without their project the church is doomed.
Church members have been trying for years to come up with a way to cover operating expenses while their membership dwindled. They originally planned to tear down the church and build a smaller replica, but the latest plan is to remove a section of the church, sell off that land to a condominium developer and revamp the rest of the building. They also plan to create a "ministry centre" that brings in outside, non-affiliated organizations to share space and expenses.
The church’s Rev. Dr. Don Wright says that without a major shift in the way the church operates, it will be forced to close.
"What we’re saying is we have to do something drastically different," Wright says. "We have to stop the bleeding and cash flow problems… it shouldn’t be up to 40 senior citizens to come up with $10,000 a month."
Wright says it’s an ambitious and creative proposal that has the congregation excited.
But some people worry that the plan will destroy the heritage of the church site. The church dates back to 1911 and once counted Nellie McClung and Louise Dean among its members. It is recognized by the city for its heritage qualities, but Wright says it isn’t under provincial protection.
Patti LaPorte, the president of the Alberta Historical Preservation and Rebuilding Society, says she’s pleased the church has changed its plans to demolish the building entirely, but she would like to see the condominium tower built in a way that preserves the heritage of the site.
"There usually is no reason they can’t come up with a sympathetic design to fit the heritage of the area," she adds.
LaPorte also says government doesn’t do enough to help organizations preserve historically significant buildings. She says the loss of other buildings – the old St. Mary’s School is gone and there are plans to bring down the Lougheed building – prove that Calgary isn’t doing enough to preserve its past.
"People aren’t willing to take a stand," LaPorte says. "Government isn’t willing to take a stand. You can’t fight development in this city. (Calgary) is very development driven. Very financially driven. There’s not much value put on culture."
However, Wright says heritage protection could spell the end of the church because he doubts they could find a buyer willing to preserve it.
"To be blunt about the whole thing, the idea of a historical designation is going to ultimately make or break whether we are going to stay as a congregation," he says. "It’s a real Catch-22. We can’t afford to maintain it, nobody’s helping us and a heritage designation may mean we can’t redevelop it… or sell it. If we don’t do something, we’re going to have to close." |
