Last night, the developer was given permission to demolish the majority of the James Street Baptist Church.
The permit sub-committee, began its discussion around 6:15 pm but didn’t finish until around 8 pm. At times, the committee members appeared to be under pressure to justify some of their concerns. The loosely chaired meeting range over a number of concerns, including: the possibility of immediate collapse, the need for an independent structural assessment, and how future designs could save more of the church.
For some time, it appeared that the Committee would recommend the hiring of a structural expert with heritage experience. Despite much discussion, the suggestion suddenly lost support when members were canvassed for a vote.
While the committee did recommend a number of conditions, the essential proposal is to take down everything but the East Towers of the Church. The East Towers is the portion of the Church that faces James Street South.
The developer indicated during the meeting that he would move quickly with work once approval was given.
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