Metrolinx has announced the opening of the Pre-Qualification Procurement Tender for 500 Howard Street in Oshawa.
The site is a Metrolinx-owned property. It was acquired for the Bowmanville Extension as the future site of the proposed Ritson Road GO Train Station.
Other future stations are planned for Courtice and Bowmanville.
The current tender is for Partial Preservation and Partial Demolition of the structure at the site.
Recognizing the cultural value of this building in the community, Metrolinx said it completed a Strategic Conservation Plan (SCP) for the property to identify potential impacts of the property’s heritage attributes along with a follow-up Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for the property which outlines mitigation measures and a comprehensive process for the stabilization and protection of the heritage attributes.
As outlined in Figure 1 above, Part 1 was built in 1870 and has heritage value identified through a Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER). As such, Metrolinx is proposing this portion of the building be retained, stabilized, and protected for possible future adaptive re-use, said a company statement.
It said after much investigation, it was also determined that Part 2 has no heritage value and will be demolished. The existing building is currently in poor condition requiring 24/7 on-site security to reduce the risk of break-ins, fires, and vandalism. The removal of the non-heritage components of the property will mitigate these potential safety risks while also enabling the delivery of the proposed Ritson Road GO Station along the Bowmanville Extension through the Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) program.
Throughout this process, Metrolinx said it engaged with the City of Oshawa’s Heritage Committee with no major concerns raised.
To proceed on this process, following consent from the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, a pre-qualification procurement tender was released to procure a qualified vendor who has proven experience with large-scale demolition and more importantly specializes in heritage restoration, said Metrolinx.
