Item - 2014.PB30.4

This report recommends that City Council authorize the Gooderham & Worts Distillery District as an area to study for potential designation as a Heritage Conservation District, under Section 40.(1) of the Ontario Heritage Act.

From its peak as the largest distilling operation of its kind in 1875, the Distillery District has evolved into a lively historic precinct centred around cultural, retail and emerging residential uses.  The conservation and adaptive re-use of the existing heritage properties, as well as the addition of several contemporary residential buildings, have for the most part, been in accordance with the original Master Plan and existing planning framework for the area.  In recent years however, there has been considerable pressure for development of a nature and scale that was not previously contemplated for certain parcels.  The cumulative impact of additional development in the area could significantly impact the historic integrity and feel of the District.  Although designated as a National Historic Site, the Distillery District does not have a comprehensive in-force planning framework conducted through a heritage lens.  As a result, City Planning staff feel that undertaking a Heritage Conservation District study for the Distillery District is an important exercise that would provide a more suitable planning framework for the review of future development applications.