Save or start over? Debate continues over future of Stratford’s first hospital

Avon Crest Hospital seen on Jan. 30, 2023. (CTV News/Spencer Turcotte)

Delegates were once again debating the fate of Stratford’s first hospital, now known as Avon Crest, at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

The building is set to be demolished and the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance will be building a new long-term care home at the site, next to Stratford General Hospital.

But some community members aren’t ready to say goodbye to the 132-year-old building.

Delegates pleaded their case Tuesday, hoping to delay the redevelopment plans.

“I encourage you to put a pause on this action, regarding the notice of intent, regarding the heritage designation, and any demolition permit regarding Avon Crest,” said Jane Marie Mitchell, who identified herself as a concerned citizen. “We all need to hear from the experts, like engineers and architects. Climate change experts and others pertinent to the issue for a sustainable choice for the path forward.”

Robert Lemon, speaking on behalf of the Stratford-Perth chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, said it wasn’t too late to save the building.

“There is no impediment to designating Avon Crest,” he stated. “We are aware that it is not on the heritage inventory, but you can simply add it to the heritage inventory and then move to designate it.”

Lemon was also in favour of rezoning Avon Crest for institutional use.

“Which may include a long-term care facility, in addition to housing and a number of other uses, could very well be done if there are open minds to look at the potential of this site.”

The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance has already entered into a land lease agreement with Revera Canada, a private care home operator, to build a new 128-bed facility at the site.

Once Avon Crest is demolished to make way for the home, the HPHA hopes to redevelop the remaining land. They have previously suggested that accessible housing is one option.

“We simply do not have enough local long-term care beds,” Andrew Williams, the HPHA president and CEO, said in a March 27 media release.

Williams also spoke at Tuesday’s council meeting.

“Investing in the future health and wellness needs of our community is far better served by respectfully acknowledging the important heritage of the original hospital,” he said. “However, not by investing untold millions to repurpose the building. That is not practical to do.”

Williams addressed some of the concerns that Mitchell brought up.

“What information do the councillors have to make an informed decision about the issue?” she asked earlier in the meeting. “Where has the information that was used by the councillors to consider this issue, coming from?”

Williams said they requested solutions from the community and developers in 2018 after health services moved over to Stratford General Hospital.

He went on to say that they had “very high-level interest” in Avon Crest but nothing ever came of it.

Williams said they met with Heritage Stratford in 2020. When that group brought a motion forward in 2021 to designate Avon Crest, his team once again engaged in the process.

While there are historic buildings in the city that have already been repurposed, Williams said that won’t work for Avon Crest.

“We did do a detailed cost analysis to bring the building up to code, make it accessible, address things like new windows and insulation, heating, cooling, lighting. And the estimate was high. It was over $20 million at the time. That’s been challenged, but I would defy anybody to say to me, that if you’re going to repurpose that building, you don’t have to first completely gut it. Completely gut the building. Those of you that have been in there, know that, and know that you could never force that building on a developer and say: ‘Use that existing footprint.’”

Williams also cited the need to remove asbestos from the building.

“It does not make sense, it is not responsible to repurpose it,” he stated.

Williams finished by asking council to move forward, and doing otherwise would be a “step back for the community.”

No decision was made at Tuesday night’s meeting.

CTV News has reached out to council for a comment on what’s next for the project.