Former Saint John synagogue holds potential, says architect

Saint John's former synagogue has a lot of potential, says an architect who prepared a report on the 144-year-old building.

Mike Richard says the one-time Calvinist church would make great office or assembly space. But the renovation pricetag could exceed $2 million.

Richard was asked by the city to do areport into the costs associated with giving the building a new purpose.

The municipality purchased the synagogue site from Saint John's Jewish community with the intention of incorporating it into the Peel Plaza development.

For the past seven years it has sat empty while the city pays the heating bills and tries to find a buyer willing to turn it into something new.

It's just been a headache for us really.- Shirley McAlary, city councillor

"There's a great space," said Richard.

He suggestedit could be turned into office space or used as a theatre or performing venue for bands.

He saidit can be converted into a three-storey, 12,000-square-footstructure.

"With some structural improvements, and changes, significant changes, you could create an entire new floor levell," he said.

The building is not in a city-designated heritage zone but it is designated by theNew Brunswick government as a Provincial Heritage Place.

Richard saidthat applies mainly to the exterior of the building,but is one of the many factors a new owner will have to take into account.

"There's demolition and removals, things that need to come out to make it that you can start putting it back together again," he said.

"Then you look at the architectural,the civil,the structural and then again there are preservation issues with the church that come into play."

Mechanical and electrical work also needs to be taken into account, he said.

Coun.Shirley McAlary said she just wants to see the building off the city's books.

"It's just been a headache for us really," said McAlary.

She said the city is prepared to be generous with the price, if a developer has deep enough pockets to do the renovations.

"A deal is there. If we know that the person or the company would have the financial means to do something with the building," she said.

McAlary saidthe municipality considered using the building as a new city hall but rejected the idea after determining there is not enough space.