Future of James Baptist Church facade is safe for now

The siteof the former Connolly condo project is still expected to become home to a condo tower. And barring a city council change of heart, the facade of James Street Baptist Church isn't going anywhere.

Hue Developments and Investments Canada Inc. hopes to buy the land at the corner of Jackson Street and James Street South.

The development it plans will be similar to Stanton Renaissance's planned 30-storey condo tower, said Michael St. Jean, the realtor overseeing sales on the project. And the buyer plans to include the facade of the historic church, which was part of the original Connolly plan.

To hear the city tell it, that inclusion is necessary anyway. The church has a heritage designation, and only city council can overturn it.

"Most people are very concerned about the facade," said Jason Farr, Ward 2 councillor. "I personally would not support anything other than enhancing that facade."

The church was built in 1878. Property records show the church congregation owned the landfrom 1875 until June 2013. That's when Louie Santaguida and his company Staton Renaissance, through a numbered company,bought it for $610,000.

After community protest, Santaguida demolished the church in 2014, saying it was crumbling anyway.

The church was already designated as heritage when that happened, says city planner Steve Robichaud. Santaguida got an alteration to that designation to demolish two-thirds of the church, but the original protection remains.

The Connolly went into receivership last June. A judge appointed Spergel Inc., an insolvency firm, to be a receiver. Hue will go to court to get approval for its purchase in late May.

A corporate search shows Hue was incorporated last June, the same month that the Connolly project went into receivership. Nam Hoai Le, Hao Viet Le, Hai Viet Le are directors in the Toronto-based corporation.

Hue has "been in the wings for a little while," St. Jean said. The company had a conditional agreement of purchase and sale last year, but the court didn't approve it.

Hue's plans for the property are similar to The Connolly, St. Jean, with some adjustments to the floor plan, parking and other details.

The sale will mean terminating existing pre-build agreements. That means those who bought units in The Connolly will get their money back.

The price of new units will be higher than those in 2015, St. Jean said. But previous buyers will have the chance to purchase units in the new project for the old retail price.

St. Jean said there's still market interest in the project. About 80 per cent of The Connolly's 270 units were sold before, he said. He expects sales to be just as robust now.

As for the church, "in all of the conversations I've been part of with regards to the church itself, everybody's under the understanding that will be incorporated into the project going forward."

The property has tailor-made zoning for a 30-storey tower and commercial on the ground floor, Robichaud said.Spergelhas been responsible for maintaining the facade.

The city would only intervene if the condition of the facadeviolated property standards laws, he said, and that hasn't happened.

Hue would need new site plan approval, since the old approval expired, he said. Whether that approval is a major or minor process will depend on how drastic the changes are.

The new owner will also need a building permit, since Santaguidanever applied for one.

All of these steps require maintaining the church, Robichaud said. Only a city council vote would change that, and Farr said he'd fight against it.

Ideally, Farr said, a new owner would builda project similar to what The Connolly was going to be.

As for when he wants to see that, "Tomorrow would be great," he said.

"Seriously. A lot of us are anxious to see it done."