Pennythoughts by Elaine McEwen

The other day I toured the historic McKinley building in Ridgetown with an experienced and knowledgeable commercial building contractor and estimator. We went through every room in the building. The purpose of the tour was a consideration of purchase and sympathetic restoration by this contractor. The building has also been discussed in detail with an architect who has knowledge of the area, including the history, as well as the expertise and creative talent to turn this sad old building into a truly magnificent showpiece.

On the third floor, I was charmed with the old vaudeville theatre, apparently only one of two in the entire province. Above the stage is the quote “All the World’s a Stage” from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”. The ceilings are high and the corners are double curved to ensure good acoustics. This unique and wonderful theatre could be a fabulous venue for the Ridgetown Players, as well as travelling troupes and musical performances. It would be a wonderful attraction in Ridgetown for residents and tourists alike.

It is indeed unfortunate that the owners of this unique building have allowed it to deteriorate into a desperate state of repair and it is a wonder that it has not in fact been condemned. I’d be interested to know the last time anyone from the municipality was inside this building. The roof is leaking badly and needs to be replaced as soon as possible. It was raining when I was there and the water was pouring in. A new roof would cost at least $80,000. Plastic sheeting has been laid down in large areas on the 3rd floor to prevent the water from going through deeper into the building. Plaster has fallen from the ceilings and in some places the walls too, exposing the old lath. Clearly there has also been a fire in one area of the interior at some time.

The floors and stairways are completely covered in the rubble of plaster that has fallen from ceilings and walls. Heating systems have been removed from the upper stories which will result in considerable additional damage this coming winter. The building needs a completely new HVAC system. This would be an enormous cost for a building of approximately 24,000 sq. ft.

All of the windows need to be replaced at an estimated cost of $200,000.00 plus. In fact, the building needs to be completely gutted on the inside which would mean all new framing and drywall. There is also a need for a completely new electrical system. Knob and tube simply isn’t safe or acceptable anymore. The current system would never meet the current building code. There are even electrical panels above sinks, which is completely out of the question for today’s standards.

When an old building like this changes hands, it also becomes a requirement to install a sprinkler system. To do this on three floors would be very, expensive.

If a dining room, lounge or pub was created on the main floor, this would involve massive expense for a commercial kitchen and all of the necessary plumbing, in addition to entirely new and extensive plumbing, bathrooms and fixtures for the entire building.

Frankly, if restored, this would be a magnificent building and a huge attraction in Ridgetown. My own thoughts for this building would include new retail spaces on the main floor, a combination of meeting rooms, offices and bed and breakfast or entirely hotel on the 2nd floor and of course, restoring and refurbishing the theatre on the 3rd floor. To do this, in this day and age, would also require an elevator at an additional cost of about $100,000.00.

In fact, a sympathetic restoration to bring this building to a level that would be necessary by today’s standards would probably cost at least $2million, but that does not include design fees, interior decor, light fittings, decorative hardware, furnishings, and so on. It would be fair to say that to bring this building to a state of glory would easily be in the range of $3million.

This building will be eligible for every potential grant that is available. Unfortunately, those grants are still miniscule relative to the staggering cost – but they would be welcome nonetheless. Another drawback for a potential purchaser would be the huge increase in property taxes that would come with the improvements. The McKinley building is for sale for $134,000 and currently the taxes on this building are about $12,000/pa. Certainly, the municipality may give a new owner a tax break on the municipal portion of the property taxes for a few years, but inevitably the higher taxes would kick in.One can only imagine what the taxes would be after spending $3million to save and restore the building.

Frankly, if this building was in Toronto, it would already have been snapped up. But this is Ridgetown and this is Chatham-Kent. Can we support a $3million dollar building here? Would tenants be able to afford the necessarily higher rents? How many years would it take to break even after an investment of $3million? Many questions – few answers.

If something isn’t done soon, there will be many more tears when this building simply falls down. If the roof isn’t replaced, that is exactly what will happen. The leaks will eventually cause the roof to rot out and cave in. When that happens, it will likely push out the brick support walls and the McKinley building will be nothing more than a pile of bricks and rubble all over Erie Street and Main Street. And then there will be a vacant lot for sale on the most prime corner in Ridgetown.

But, for those who really want to ensure that this heritage building is preserved, why wait until someone else buys it and then cry the blues over the new owner’s intentions, which, considering the condition of the building, could mean demolition and re-building. That would be much less costly than restoration.

Why not start a fundraising campaign in Ridgetown now to buy the McKinley building, do a proper restoration and gain a beautiful and valuable asset for the town? Can we raise $3million for a project like this in Ridgetown or would residents rather contribute to charities and projects that take money out of town?

A fundraising campaign will soon illustrate whether Ridgetown residents care about saving the building or not.