Demolition permit issued for parts of College Avenue Campus

Permits are in place and officials expect work to begin in November to tear down two buildings that are beyond repair at the College Avenue Campus of the University of Regina.

The demolition is part of an estimated $60-million project aimed at preserving the University's College Building and nearby Darke Hall on the edge of the city's showpiece green space, Wascana Park. One component of the project includes adding a commercial office building for the Conexus Credit Union in the park.

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Dave Button, a vice-president with the U of R, said the necessary permits and approvals were in place and tenders for a demolition contract closed last week.

He said before anything is torn down, crews working on the advice of heritage experts will ensure significant items are saved.

"It's not like they come in with a wrecking ball," Button said.

The overall project involves four buildings: Darke Hall; the Gallery building (a box-shaped addition built in 1957); the Conservatory building (previously known as the Women's Residence) and the College building.

Button said Darke Hall had underpinning work done in the 1990s and it is sound. Work is underway on the roof of Darke Hall.

Button said the large College building needs some structural work, that is feasible, on its south end.

He said the Conservatory building has been in a poor condition for decades and the structural condition of the building, although it was built in the same way as the larger College Avenue building, is beyond repair.

"Slowly, the back end has been shifting and moving," he said. "[The building] has been condemned for decades now."

The Gallery building, he said, is in similar poor shape.

Some brick work and cornerstones will be preserved as well as worthwhile interior elements, like door knobs.

Button said one wall of the Conservatory building, facing College Avenue, will be retained and behind that wall there will some new construction. The new space is needed to ensure the building is, among other things, accessible.

"The facade will be protected," he said, adding that a prominent entry will be created as part of the work.

Tree cut down

On Tuesday, a mature poplar tree was cut down to a stump by crews from the Wascana Centre Authority, which oversees the grounds.

"It had to be removed to facilitate the demolition of the Conservatory and the Gallery Building," Bernadette McIntyre, CEO of the Wascana Centre Authority, said.

"We move, remove and plant trees almost every day within Wascana Centre," McIntyre added. "Any trees that we remove, because we can't move them usually because they're too large, we replace."

She said a replacement tree could be planted elsewhere in the park or in the same area one was removed depending on the landscaping plans.

"We plant hundreds of trees every year," she said.

Fundraising continues

Funding for the project is coming from a variety of sources, including $27.6 million in federal support. The U of R needs to have the work completed by spring of 2018 to meet the terms attached to the money from Ottawa.

Button said the university is continuing to gather funds to ensure the federal dollars are matched. That matching funding includes money from Conexus as well as a number of donations.

McIntyre said the finished space, between Darke Hall and the College Building, will have appealing landscaping.

"We will ensure that it is absolutely beautiful and park-like," she said.

According to McIntyre, the space where an office building for the Conexus Credit Union will go (west of Darke Hall) has about 33 trees and bushes.

"We will have to move and remove some portion of those trees and shrubbery," she said, adding it wasn't known how many would be affected. "We will remove as few as possible and any that are removed,we will replant."