A case to revitalize Holy Trinity Cathedral will be heard by council at its meeting Sept. 15.
The project, estimated to cost upwards of $80 million, calls for the tear down of the community hall during phase one. "That's the first building to go down if there was an earthquake," said Garry James, a member of the parish who sits on the planning committee. "Funny enough, this is the place people are told to come if the big one does happen."
In its place, a developer would build a highrise of condominiums, with halls and offices underneath for the church to use. "We have a youth director who can't practise here with her group because the space doesn't exist," he said. "We see all kinds of community activities happening. It's not just a religious organization, but it's about community outreach."
The money made from the sale of the homes would in turn fund the second phase - the restoration of the church and the addition of some new features. "To make it safe, they have to go under the building and make it earthquake proof by inserting huge discs and reinforcing the walls," James said. "Then we're looking at improving SkyTrain access and creating a plaza out front where we envision the farmer's market being held."
The revitalization project started when John Bailey, the church's former rector, began the legwork four years ago in hopes of conserving the 155-year-old site.
"We've done the soil samples; we've done all the research including the architectural reports. We're just waiting for the city's approval to continue the momentum," he said.
Bailey added another important part of the proposal is the addition of more parking spaces. Right now, there are 12 on site and 40 within the block. "Many of these buildings have very few visitor parking spaces, which means there's competition on a Sunday morning," he said. "In the pouring rain, if you were a senior and you end up having to park three or four blocks away, it creates real issues."
Bailey said there has been a decline in attendance and event bookings over the years as a result of limited parking. "We still see close to 300 people at Christmas time, so we know that the parish does have the potential."
Within the proposal are three applications that were submitted in June - a heritage revitalization agreement, a development permit and a rezoning application. According to Bailey, gaining heritage status and redrawing the map is the only financial avenue left to ensure the cathedral doesn't come down.
"We received no funding from the provincial or federal government so it's our only tool left," he said. "By having heritage status and being able to rezone, it'll provide an increased density bonus...the condominiums. It then allows the profit from that to fund restoration costs and contribute to the operational budget."
Heritage status means the exterior would not be renovated and little would be added to the interior. "One of the beauties of this building is its great simplicity of the interior. It reflects the poverty that was there in New West subsequent to the railroad and the movement of money from this community to Vancouver in the 1890s," said Bailey.
Since its establishment in 1859, the church has survived two blazes. The first was in 1865, when flames burned down the original wood. Its sandstone replacement could not withstand New Westminster's fire of 1898, with the exception of the Bell Tower, which remains today.
If council gives the nod, Bailey and his team will continue the dialogue process with Oberto Oberti Architecture and Urban Design Inc., and meet with groups like the New Westminster Downtown Residents' Association. Further studies would also have to be completed in conjunction with public hearings.
The green light for shovels to hit the ground wouldn't come for another two years, according to James. "After that, we're looking at another four years for the project to be completely finished."
James added despite the wait, Holy Trinity Cathedral needs to be preserved. "There are not too many open spaces and historical sites you can hang your hat on and be proud of...Having grown up in New West, it's one of those things I want to see here for another 150 years, or longer."
