Built in 1888 by a French-Canadian doctor who settled in Calgary, it has survived more than a century and should be a sterling reminder of this city’s early history.
Today, after narrowly avoiding demolition several years ago, Rouleau House sits abandoned on a plot of land just south of the Beltline. On the outside, it is boarded up, and inside is no better: according to a recent assessment, the interior is damaged beyond repair.
Rouleau House may be a more extreme example, but it is not the only historic structure in Calgary with problems.
A new report has found most city-owned heritage buildings are only in fair or poor condition, with a handful in critical shape. Just four of 21 recently assessed properties rank as good or excellent in some categories.
Not only that, but the city report notes the integrity and longevity of these buildings are at increased risk because Calgary does not have a management plan, capital budget or life-cycle funding program to care for them.
"The concerns are obvious," Scott Jolliffe, chairman of the Calgary Heritage Authority, said in an interview Tuesday. "These assets deserve to outlive us, and in order to do that, they need appropriate maintenance.
"We’re thinking that a lot of these buildings now are in deferred maintenance condition. It’s just time to start catching up on that."
Funding options include selling some of the assets with strict conditions, lease arrangements that involve upgrade and maintenance requirements, establishing reserve funds and finding grants from other levels of government and philanthropists.
Ald. John Mar wants a close look taken at establishing a life-cycle reserve that could be drawn on to keep the heritage properties in good repair.
The report went before the city council land and strategic asset committee on Tuesday — one step in forging ahead with a strategy to deal with how these structures should be maintained and upgraded.
None of the structures are about to fall down, and all occupied heritage buildings are safe, according to the city. But some do have "potentially critical" problems, such as mechanical issues such as boilers that need repair.
All this comes with a price tag.
Upgrades to sort out potentially critical issues will cost more than $1 million. Bringing the city’s stock of heritage buildings up to a "good" grade will cost $9.6 million, the committee was told.
The city maintains 37 historic resources; 29 are buildings. Even with this inventory, the city is only now putting together a strategy to fund and manage the structures.
"It is a little bit shocking that it’s never been in existence," said Chris Edwards, who is with the Calgary Heritage Initiative, a group dedicated to the preservation of historic and architecturally significant sites.
"Definitely, the ball has been dropped in the past and it is looking like this is the way they’d like to rectify it."
Rouleau House was one of the buildings listed as "critical" in the city’s report. Other properties ranking in the same category include the Capitol Hill Cottage School in Hillhurst and the YWCA (Old Centre) in the Beltline.
By and large, the city is doing a good job moving ahead with a new plan, Edwards said. The problem with waiting too long is that as buildings get in such disrepair, it becomes "demolition by neglect."
His one area of concern, however, is the potential sale of some assets. While not opposed to such a move in principle as it would generate money for upgrades at other sites, Edwards said more details are needed to make sure long-term maintenance is enforced after any sale.
It was also noted at the committee meeting the great disparity in the condition of these heritage buildings. Some, like Rouleau House, sit idle and in complete disrepair. Others, like Grand Trunk Cottage School in Kensington, are in near perfect shape, according to a recent assessment.
Now attention turns to how to fund improvements. On that front, Darryl Cariou, the city’s senior heritage planner, points to some successes in fixing poorly maintained heritage buildings in Calgary. One of those is Fire Station No. 1, which is just across from police headquarters in downtown Calgary.
Two decades ago, an agreement with Budget car rentals was forged. The company would lease the site for $1 a year and in return pour more than $1 million into upgrading what was then a building in poor shape.
"I think it’s a pretty good use for that site," Cariou said in an interview. "We’ve got a productive use in there, Budget loves to be there, we’ve got a restored heritage building and it didn’t cost us anything."
A strong proponent of getting these buildings back on track is Mar, who advocates for a life-cycle reserve fund. There aren’t that many heritage structures left in Calgary, he said.
"My concern is that if we own it, we should be maintaining it to a condition where it does not become a money pit later on," Mar said.
rcuthbertson@calgaryherald.com
YWCA (Old Centre)
– Location: 223 12th Ave. S.W. (Beltline)
– Built: 1910-11
– Original cost: $75,000, including furnishings.
– ¦ From the facility condition assessment report: The YWCA left the facility in 1971; it now serves as the Old "Y" Centre for community organizations. The building was designated as a provincial historic resource in 1980.
– Here is some of what needs to be replaced: fire system needs to be replaced and smoke detectors are non-compliant; utility sinks and kitchenette; sanitary and water; roof drainage; exhaust system.
Rouleau House
– Owner: Dr. Edouard H. Rouleau, a prominent member of the city’s early francophone community.
– Original location: 114 18th Ave. S.W. (formerly St. Joseph’s Street)
– Built: 1888
– From the facility condition assessment report: The structure is currently abandoned. The exterior needs extensive renovation work on the existing elements; the interior is damaged beyond repair, with all of the interior building systems needing to be replaced.
– The interior faces a host of problems. Here is some of what must be replaced: sanitary discharge and water; electrical service and branch wiring; lighting fixtures; phone system; security and firm alarms.
Capitol Hill Cottage School
– Location: 1522 21st Ave. N.W.
– Built: 1912
– Purpose: The school board built many cottage schools for temporary space in new neighbourhoods as the school population increased five times between 1905 and 1914.
– From the facility condition assessment report: It served as a classroom until 1961, with modest improvements made to the structure since. The building has been occupied since 1981 by the St. Cyprian’s Boy Scout Troop.
– Here is some of what needs to be replaced: sanitary discharge and water; exterior doors; main electrical system; kitchenette; telephone system; furnace.
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