Civic Centre Neighbourhood Heritage Conservation District Study & Plan
The Ontario Heritage Act enables municipal councils to protect individual properties and districts of cultural heritage value or interest. Part V of the Act, entitled ''Heritage Conservation Districts'', is concerned with the protection and enhancement of an aggregate of buildings, streets and open spaces that as a group, represent a collective asset to a community in much the same way as an individually designated property.

The City of Kitchener is well aware of the importance of preserving neighbourhoods of great cultural heritage significance, and is proud to feature three existing heritage conservation districts located in the Upper Doon, Victoria Park, and St. Mary’s neighbourhood areas. The City believes that the Civic Centre Neighbourhood is another area of the City that is representative of a distinctive time in Kitchener’s history, and possibly deserving of heritage district designation.

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Key Contacts

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About the Civic Centre Neighbourhood Study Area
The Civic Centre Neighbourhood is located immediately adjacent to Kitchener’s Downtown and previously served as the north-eastern edge of the Town of Berlin. The neighbourhood was home to Berlin’s and later Kitchener’s industrial, civic and commercial elite; and features excellent examples of late 19th and early 20th century architecture. The area is also home to the City’s second oldest park, the small but elegant Hibner Park, opened in 1894. The Civic Centre Neighbourhood area serves as a reminder of a period of rapid growth and prosperity in Kitchener’s history, and of the ingenuity and strong work ethic of the men and women who helped establish Berlin’s and later Kitchener’s dominant industrial economic base, which continues to be identified with the City to this day.

A heritage conservation district has a special character or association that distinguishes it from its surroundings. Heritage Conservation District Plans serve to guide change and development in a manner which meets the needs of property owners while protecting and enhancing the unique character of the district. Smart Growth initiatives and proposed planning reform have placed a greater emphasis on encouraging and promoting opportunities for a more compact urban form in the inner city; and recent announcements regarding the development of downtown educational campuses has added further interest in redevelopment opportunities through infill and intensification. City Planning staff believe that having the appropriate tools in place in the Civic Centre Neighbourhood area to address design and heritage conservation issues prior to the receipt of applications for change makes good planning sense.

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Scope of the Civic Centre Neighbourhood Heritage Conservation District Project
A Consulting Team led by Stantec Consultants, Nexus Architects, Ecoplans and Mike Baker (Historian) will be undertaking a two-phased approach to the overall project. The main purpose of Phase I (typically referred to as the Study) is to determine whether the Civic Centre Neighbourhood is suitable for designation as a heritage conservation district, and if so, to define the appropriate boundary. Phase II (typically referred to as the Plan) would then identify the policies and guidelines to be established to address future change within the district boundary, in a way which retains and enhances the area’s heritage attributes and distinctive character.

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Objectives of Phase I (Heritage Conservation District Study)

1. Research, survey and prepare a detailed inventory and evaluation of the historical, architectural and landscape features of the Study Area;
   
2. Develop heritage character statement(s) identifying the attributes and resources contributing to the character of the proposed District.
3. To establish, in conjunction with City Staff, and undertake an appropriate form and level of public consultation;.
4. Review, research and analyze existing land use, zoning, planning and heritage policies and controls in order to determine if further heritage conservation measures are warranted for the Study Area;
5. To consider the need, suitability and justification for designating the whole or part of the Study Area as a Heritage Conservation District and/or any other regulatory framework and/or guidelines;
6. Identify a detailed outline of the work to be conducted in Phase II.

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Objectives of Phase II (Heritage Conservation District Plan)

1. Based on the recommendations of Phase I, the objective of Phase II (should City Council approve Phase I and proceed with Phase II) will be to identify an implementation strategy typically established through the completion of a Heritage Conservation District Plan, that is illustrative and attractive in its layout and presentation; clear and concise in its message; is based on proven and defendable heritage policy and principles; and recognizes the needs of its intended audience.
2. Consisting of text and graphic material, the Heritage Conservation District Plan will provide the context for the consideration of permits required under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act; and will provide a clear and rational plan of management for future change within the District and for decision making that may impact the District.
3. The Heritage Conservation District Plan will provide specific policies addressing the type of change considered appropriate for heritage buildings, new construction, non-heritage buildings, streetscapes and landscapes, as well as public and private infrastructure.
4. To establish, in conjunction with City Staff, and undertake an appropriate form and level of public consultation in preparing the Heritage Conservation District Plan.

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Members of the Consulting Team

• Stantec Consulting (Prime Consultant)
  Ken Buck, OALA, CSLA, ASLA - Project Manager
  Maureen Zunti, M.E.Des., MCIP, RPP - Planner & Overall Project Coordinator
• Nexus Architects
  Richard Coombs, B.ARCH, O.A.A., CAPHC - Project Architect
• Ecoplans
  David Waverman, B.L.Arch., OALA, CSLA, ISA, CAPHC - Project Landscape Architect
  Shannon Baker, B.L.Arch., OALA, CSLA, CAPHC (intern) - Project Landscape Architect
• Michael Baker, Historian
  Michael Baker, B.A.(Hons.), B.Ed. - Project Historian

City Staff

• Kitchener City Staff (Development & Technical Services Department)
  Leon Bensason, MCIP, RPP, CAPHC - Heritage Planner
  Sheryl Rice, CPT - Development Administrator

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