Notable local buildings up for heritage designation in Kingston, Ont.

The City of Kingston has been on a mission to clear its backlog of potential heritage property designations.

Coun. Conny Glenn, who represents Sydenham district and is chair of the Heritage Properties Committee, said that some legislative encouragement from the provincial government is behind the increased pace of designations.

“Bill 23 has now forced us to look at those listings within the next year and make a decision on designation. Now, that’s all well and good, but we had 300 on our list,” she said.

On that list is one of Kingston’s longest running eateries, the Hoagie House.

Owner Phil Thompson said it’s nice to be recognized as part of Kingston’s rich history.

“Everybody knows me. Most people know who I am if they’ve been here for any amount of time. We’re Kingstonians,” Thompson said.

However, when it comes to accepting a potential heritage designation from the city, Thompson said he does have some questions.

“My main concern, actually, is that, will it affect my insurance? Will it affect the sale price, will it affect repairs, will it affect all of the things that I may have to do down the road?”

Also included is the building that houses Northside Espresso and Kitchen.

Long before it was ever a cafe, the two-storey brick building was home to Turk’s Furniture Store.

According to the city, the building used to be a prominent part of the city’s “Little Jerusalem,” a popular settlement area for Jewish immigrants.

For four generations, the building was owned by the Turk family, who immigrated from Russia in the late 1800s. The building still holds significance for Kingstonians.

“A lot of people still come in and ask us questions about it or say that they used to come in here all the time,” said Northside Espresso and Kitchen owner Cade Pentland-Boyce.

When it comes to just how these sites are selected for historic designation, Coun. Glenn said it’s based on nine criteria laid out by the committee. If the property meets two of those criteria, they’re eligible, she said.

“It could be a physical characteristic that gets a designation, it could be contextual, it fits into the neighbourhood,” said Glenn.

With approval from the Heritage Properties Committee, the list will now need council approval to move forward.