Beside the construction site that will expand Memorial Square into a public performance space that links downtown with the waterfront, an unimpressive former bank covered in dated stucko is making way for project that blends the historic with the new.
Since purchasing the building, now known municipally as 6 Fred Grant St. and 4 Simcoe St. a month ago, Paul Lynch is uncovering and discovering a century-old building that offers lots of charm and character, along with incredible potential.
“This building is significant. For a lot of people, this area will be where their first experiences in downtown are and it will be the area on which they judge Barrie on. This is a very important building. It corners onto our event space and the water,” he said.
Sold three years ago, the building sat vacant since the bank moved out. The previous owner had tried to attract tenants, mostly office uses, based on a rendering that’s now on the outside of the building.
But Lynch sees much more than the developer from whom he bought the building. Lynch’s imagination was sparked as he uncovered and discovered the beauty and simplicity of the building that he figures dates to the early 1900s. He’s trying to find out exactly when the building was constructed.
“It’s such a hidden gem. What’s ironic is everyone was so sure this building would be torn down. The city disconnected the water and the sewer lines in 2015,” said Lynch, who took possession of the building on July 7.
“We’re peeling back the layers to get to the vintage items, like exposing interior brickwork and (high) ceiling joists. There were three different ceilings installed. They literally went (down) from 14-foot ceilings to eight-foot ceilings. (The building) was a hidden treasure.”
Measuring about 14,000 square foot above grade, along with a 6,000 square-foot basement, the building is solid brick and features windows on all sides. Some windows were bricked in.
On the exterior that’s behind a series of Dunlop Street stores, the brick was painted over and inside. Layers of drywall covered the brick walls throughout the building. Staircases were put nearer both street frontages, which made for a closed-in, unwelcoming appearance.
Peeling back layers of drywall and tearing down walls that enclosed those staircases has already made the main and second storeys expansive and bright.
The higher ceilings add an airiness and sense of potential. Even in the basement, the ceilings are nine feet high, which he describes as “pretty impressive for a basement of that era”, likely the early 1900s.
As bricked-in windows are reopened, the spaces will be even brighter.
Back to the brick, most of the tearing down is done and talks with potential hospitality industry companies will help shape the reconstruction of the spaces, on both above-ground storeys as well as potentially the creation of two roof-top patios and a wrap-around patio at street level.
Lynch figures the revitalization work will take a year.
“The timing works out perfectly. Having a hospitality use really complements the park,” said Lynch, noting the work on the public square is scheduled to wrap up next year.
The street-level patio that will look out onto Memorial Square, and the two roof-top ones will have waterfront views.
Lynch is inspired by Hamilton-based Core Urban, which has updated and brought new life to an array of buildings in that city. The company’s portfolio, which Lynch admires, includes the revitalization of an 1890 building. The Empire Times project included two buildings, a glass-encased elevator and the opening up of the interior to create exposed-brick walls and ductwork for offices for creative businesses and studios, as well as a credit union. The downtown Hamilton project also features a roof-top patio and two restaurants.
For the building in downtown Barrie, the address will change, as Fred Grant Street has been closed as part of the work to enable the Memorial Square expansion.
It makes sense to re-orient what many refer to as the old BMO building to face the lake, he said and its address will change to an as-yet undetermined number on Chase McEachern Way.
There will be spaces for offices, along with two restaurants, one on the main level, the other on the second storey.
An old transformer on Chase McEachern Way will be removed and the relocation of the electrical room will allow second-floor space to be opened up to enable lake views from the expansive room. An elevator will be added to make the building accessible.
“This building… will always be more desirable than a new building. These types of buildings in urban centres are in highest demand. It used to be only marketing and technology companies wanting them, but now every type of company is seeking this office use,” said Lynch, who has renovated other downtown Barrie buildings, including the building on the other side of Memorial Square, which is home to TygerShark.
“It’s amazing (the old BMO building) has passed the test of time,” he said. “The next step is the structural engineer has to make connections with the architect and then when we get the users, we will finalize the design.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story said Paul Lynch is working with Core Urban on the project. That has been corrected
