Opinions are divided over the decision to remove the heritage designation from an almost 200-year-old church building in Saint John.
The former St. George’s Anglican Church was purchased last year and transformed into “Old St. George Restaurant and Greatest Wedding Chapel In The East.”
It was no longer being used as a church, and co-owner Carla Humphrey claims the cost to go about the renovations under a heritage designation was too steep.
For example, a glass door Humphrey wanted to install, that wasn’t within heritage designation, was quoted at $2,500. However, she says the Heritage Preservation Review Board wasn’t happy with their pick, among other things.
“Their recommendation was a Georgian style glass door with antique cracked glass at over $10,000,” Humphrey said.
The decision to remove the heritage designation went against the recommendation of the heritage board.
The board’s chairman says the decision was disappointing and he believes the variation in repair costs is based on misunderstandings.
Council’s decision remove the heritage designation was unanimous, however.
“We felt that for them to survive that it had to become an ordinary building and hopefully they can make a go of it now,” said councillor Gerry Lowe.
Meantime, Humphrey has some immediate plans for the building and her business.
“It’ll allow us to financially be able to afford to fix our steeple, to put on our front door and we now can put out our business sign,” she said.
The church building itself was built in 1821.
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