Plan to widen Wellington Road for BRT puts this church building in peril

Leaders of St. AndrewMemorial Church are worried that plans to widen Wellington Road for London's Bus Rapid Transit system will mean the alteration or outright lossof an auxiliarybuilding they lease to two community groups.

Built in 1941, the red brick parish hall stands off to the side, but much closer to the road, from the main church building.

The parish hall served as the Anglican congregation's main churchuntil it was replaced in the mid 1950s by the muchlarger yellow-brick church. Itsfront entrance isabout 10 stepsfrom Wellington Road's existing northbound curb lane.

Last week Shift, the city-funded organization backing BRT, confirmed plans to widen Wellington Road from four traffic lanes to six, with BRTbuses running in the inside lanes.

Theparish hall's exterior wall will be in the way of the widened road.

The potential loss of the building has church warden Kent Thomas concerned. In particular, he worries about the fate of its two tenants:The Scottish Rite Learning Centre and the London Consistory Club.

"They both provide a valuable service to the community," said Thomas. "It would be very bad for the community iftheyhave to relocate. It's an ideal spot and they have invested a lot of money in this building."

Located on the rectory building's main floor, the London Consistory Club provides mobility aids such aswalkers, raised toilet sets, crutches and commodes, all free of charge.

Consistory Club president John MacLeod said the club mainly servesseniors or their caregivers. Many lack the incomes or extended insurance to pay for the devices.

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"We don't ask whether they can afford it or not, we provide it to free," said MacLeod. "For a lot of them it's 'Do I use a raised mobility device or do I eat?' That's what it comes down to sometimes."

The Consistory Club is open Tuesday and Thursday mornings. On a typical day, more than 50 clients or their caregivers walk out with free devices.

MacLeod said the club benefits from its current location: It's on amain road and there's plenty of parking. And because the club has been theresince 2009, people know where to find them.

"We have a superb relationship with the Anglican church," said MacLeod. "They couldn't be a better landlord to us. I have no idea where we could go and get such a good relationship and such a good deal on rent."

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The parish hall's basement is leased to the Scottish Rite Learning Centre, which provides free help for kids with learning disabilities.Thomas said the learning centre has spent considerable money converting the once-open space into a series of small rooms where students practice reading with their teachers.

Leases paid by both groups are an important revenue source for St. Andrew's, which serves a congregation of about 85 people.

London rapid transit director Jennie Ramsay confirms the parish hall building will be affected if Wellington Road is widened. But exactly how much won't beknown until staff are further along in the design process. She said it's also too early to say how much the church could be compensated if the building is demolishedor reduced in size.

"We always try to deal with every property owner with respect and make sure that they're adequately compensated and treated fairly for any potential impacts," she said.

Thomas says one option might be to remove the building's front vestibule, which juts out toward Wellington Road. Hesays a new entrance could be built on the building's north side, away from the new curb lane.

But that will only happen if the church and city can come to an agreement. Although it's a last option, the city does have the power to expropriate if they can't cut a deal with the land owner. Thomas and his congregants are praying for a good outcome.

"I'm sure we can come up with something that's palatable," he said. "I'm not closing the door on it yet."

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