In a city with such amazing history, I’m always excited when old abandoned heritage buildings are restored back to modern use. A few weeks ago I wrote about the proposal to restore and renovate the Imperial Oil building at the base of North Street. This week, a plan is coming forward to the City’s Planning Committee to restore another crumbling heritage building just a short distance away: the old Bailey Broom factory.
This former factory building at the corner of Rideau and Cataraqui Streets is in terrible shape and City Council briefly considered demolishing the building several years ago. However, RAW Design Inc. came forward with a plan to purchase the building and restore it. The required restoration work will be extensive, but the end vision will see this dilapidated building transformed into a great mix of residential and commercial space. The proposed development would see 9 new townhouse units constructed on the north side of the building, while the old broom factory itself would be converted to a unique mix of everything from office space, to a café, artisan workshops and other event space.
This redevelopment is another exciting indicator of the growth and renewal we are seeing across the city right now. With plans to restore the Imperial Oil building and the Bailey Broom factory, clean up and redevelop the Davis Tannery property, and create a new vision for Belle Park, the Inner Harbour in particular should soon become an exciting showcase of urban renewal within Kingston’s downtown core. There’s lots of work ahead of us, but it’s great to see the momentum that’s been created. You can read more about the plans for the Bailey Broom factory here https://bit.ly/2Ip41gJ