The City of Cambridge will spend $360,000 over the next two years to assess the condition of 25 heritage buildings it owns to inform an ongoing capital maintenance schedule.
Council approved the recommendation to implement the asset management plan that will include heritage assessment, building assessment as well as review of electrical and mechanical components of the buildings.
Some of the designated buildings the city owns include the Galt Arena Gardens, the Old Post Office Idea Exchange and the Fashion Museum building in Hespeler.
The city says it has made capital investments of $25 million over the past 10 years to protect and preserve these assets and has further allocated over $21 million towards protection and preservation of them over the next decade.
Some of the major projects included the Old Post Office purchase and restoration, Historic City Hall restoration, the recent David Durward Centre and Art Center façade improvement, Farmer’s Market renovations, Fire hall Museum, Riverside dam design, and renewal of retaining walls.
In addition to heritage buildings, the city owns or maintains other heritage assets, including the Riverside Park gates and walls, Queen Square Fountain and Cenotaph, the Black Bridge Road bridge, Riverside dam, multiple Mountview Cemetery columbaria, and multiple retaining walls
Coun. Mike Mann asked if the Preston Scout House and a former train station building in Riverside Park currently being used as storage should be on the list of city-owned heritage assets.
Deputy city manager infrastructure services Yogesh Shah said he would investigate to see if they are city owned and include them if they are.
