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The City of Guelph has been rewarded for its efforts to restore and repurpose a 19th century pumping station with an award from the Ontario Heritage Trust.
The building, which was completed in 1879, was originally intended to provide water for fire protection, but its purpose was expanded during construction to also provide water for residential use.
Located at 29 Waterworks Pl., off York Road, the industrial building had most recently been used for storage, but had fallen into disrepair. The recent restoration project has seen it turned into a contemporary administrative space for the city, earning it a Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation.
“On behalf of the project team, including city staff and Baird Sampson Neuert Architects, I’m excited and proud to receive this award for their work to restore a part of Guelph’s history,” city environmental services manager Emily Stahl said during the virtual awards ceremony on Feb. 24.
The project “focused on restoring the scale and grandeur of the space,” removing a mezzanine level that had been added in the 1970s and creating cathedral ceilings for a studio-like workspace, the Ontario Heritage Trust website said in the award listing.
“This project provides an exceptional setting that celebrates the building’s history and retains significant heritage features of the interior and exterior,” it said.
“A future-ready Guelph includes making strategic investments to conserve our built heritage,” Jayne Holmes, Guelph’s deputy chief administrative officer of infrastructure, development and enterprise services, said in a news release. “We’re pleased this beautiful landmark building is being recognized with such a prestigious award.”
The building is protected with a designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.
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