By Pamela Westoby

As earlier reported last Friday, March 27 the Toronto Preservation Board convened, and on the agenda was an application to alter St. Basil's Separate School, located at 34 -38 Hazelton in the Yorkville Hazelton Heritage Conservation District (HCD). Built in 1928 by esteemed architect J.M. Cowen and individually listed in 2002 for its cultural heritage value, it is a superb example of Gothic Revival architecture, an integral part of Toronto's religious history, and is in harmony with the architectural landscape of the Yorkville Hazelton HCD. Sadly, should the application go forward it would join a minimum of five other condominiums in varying stages of construction in a three-block radius, with merely the façade retained. The Planning Committee has recommended refusing the application and, while Heritage Toronto supports this refusal, its current condition and future raises some key questions - principally what is being done to incent alternative uses for such structures, what provisions are being made for the upkeep of heritage structures before, during and after sale and, finally, how many façades are enough?

While it is hoped that the application for development would be ultimately denied, a use for the building must still be found. St. Basil's Separate School was converted by the Metropolitan Separate School Board in 1975 for administrative use, which it utilized as such until just a few years ago. Since then, however, it has remained uninhabited and has fallen into a state of disrepair. Structurally it appears sound, but broken windows abound and, despite its charming architectural accents, it could potentially be viewed as an abandoned eyesore. In this sense, potential redevelopment has its advantages, most obviously that of revitalization. But how to proceed? With the Condo Craze well into maturity in the City, the sadly obvious choice, and the crux of the current application, is to develop the property into condominiums. Not only does such a proposal hasten the erosion of the Yorkville Hazelton HCD by vertically modifying the landscape further, it also lacks imagination. As the site has previously been converted for administrative use, St. Basil's has inherent potential to be developed into office space, potentially joining the bevy of boutique financial firms that line the street as we speak. Further, given the current economic climate and the need to foster burgeoning businesses, it has the potential to house start-ups or perhaps even cradle community services. These precepts may appear simplistic and perhaps even naïve, but the key question is why isn't more being done to create incentives for uses beyond condo development?

Secondly, St. Basil's current state speaks to the current limitations of the listing system and proffers examination. St. Basil's has been vacant for a substantial period of time and, essentially, has been permitted to lay fallow as a tarnished gem, begging the question that if a listed site is allowed to fall into disrepair, what is the purpose of listing it? Toronto does have an existing by-law relating to Property Standards for Heritage Buildings, but it is not enforced. More must be done to protect listed sites and structures and to enforce solid stewardship, particularly in Heritage Conservation Districts. Unless more is done to ensure the upkeep of listed properties, the system belies the status and ultimately renders the status itself meaningless.

Finally, the current proposal to alter St. Basil's so substantially that only the façade remains points to rampant philosophy that merely maintaining the façade translates into heritage preservation. But frontage alone does not heritage conservation make. The city is peppered with examples of façadism and while it is a nod to the site's previous structure and compromises may need to be made during the course of redevelopment, altering the structure to the point where one, lone wall remains eradicates the soul of the structure and ignores the basic tenets of heritage preservation. In this sense, façadism barely pays lip service to conservation, constitutes an almost disrespectful loophole and more must be done to abate this trend. Certainly, older structures do present complications and limitations in their repurposing. But that is precisely what allows their period features and character to shine. What is required is more respect for listed properties, more innovation and more stringent policies guarding structures in their entirety.

In each of these senses, St. Basil's Separate School stands not only as an example of Toronto's architectural history, but also as an illustration of the failings inherent in the system and a seemingly systemic lack of respect with regard to heritage conservation. Innovation in design and redevelopment, some guarantee of stewardship in perpetuity, and the protection of heritage structures in their entirety must begin to be heralded, or Toronto risks becoming a community of condos and a farce of façades.