Cambridge residents weigh in on proposed plan for Preston Springs Hotel site

Cambridge council delays Preston Spring decision After a marathon meeting, council agreed to revisit a proposal to develop land at the former Preston Springs Hotel next week.

A plan for the site of the former Preston Springs Hotel was presented to Cambridge council Tuesday night at a marathon meeting that stretched past 11 p.m.

It comes nearly three years after the historic building on Fountain Street was torn down, a decision that sparked controversy in the community.

Now a developer has plans for the property that include building three residential towers.

Council ultimately delayed a decision on the project, deciding to resume discussions at the next meeting on Dec. 19.

HISTORY OF THE BUILDING

The Preston Springs Hotel was built in 1888 and was known for its luxury accommodations and mineral springs.

According to Architectural Conservancy Ontario, “the high sulphur content in its mineral baths was used to ‘cleanse’the body and to treat arthritis, rheumatism and a variety of other diseases.” The hotel also offered treatments such as “X-rays, hydrotherapy, electric baths and mineral cures for circulatory, respiratory, urinary, nervous and gastrointestinal” issues.

Preston Springs Hotel once boasted an impressive list of clientele including baseball legend Babe Ruth, Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery, and Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley (also known as Lord Stanley of Preston, Canada’s sixth Governor General and namesake of the Stanley Cup).

Attempts to revive the hotel after the Second World War ultimately failed.

DEMOLITION DECISION

After sitting empty for 30 years, in December 2020, the chief building officer for the City of Cambridge issued an emergency order to tear down the Preston Springs Hotel.

A report to council detailed efforts, with several owners, to restore the building.

“A viable solution proved complicated and cost-prohibitive," the report read in part.

The city also cited security issues at the property and noted that the hotel was in "an advanced state of deterioration and structural decay."

The chief building officer stated the building was no longer safe for emergency crews to enter and issued the emergency order.

MORE: Timeline for the destruction of the Preston Springs Hotel

Demolition began on Dec. 31, 2020 and finished on Jan. 4, 2021.

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

Haastown Holdings wants to transform the Fountain Street property into a three-tower residential development. The towers would be 22, 24 and 26 storeys tall with a total of 753 units. The façade, according to the initial design, would have a checkerboard pattern and balconies along two of the four sides.

There would also be 420 square metres of commercial space on the ground floor and a 632-space parking structure.

Haastown Holdings said it took inspiration from the former hotel in its design process with archways, a colonnade and the inclusion of a fountain in a central piazza. They said the building will have historic elements reinterpreted in a modern way.

According to their proposal, the developer wants the city to take ownership of the back garden so it can be used as a public space.

Those living in the towers would also have easy access to public transit with bus stops on both Fountain Street and King Street. The future route of the Cambridge LRT, that’s been endorsed by regional council, shows an ION station nearby.

“Yes it's large, and yes it's change. And we understand the reaction to change, it's not always easily embraced,” Haastown President Paul de Haas told council at Tuesday night’s meeting. “But we're here to work with you, work with the public, work with staff collaboratively to try to get something moving forward, to provide, at the end of the day, what I heard earlier, and what we hear everyday, that is a much needed addition to the supply of housing.”

RESIDENTS REACT

CTV News spoke to residents who live near the Preston Springs property who have concerns with the developer’s plan.

One issue is the proposed size.

“I’m actually for development, appreciate development,” said Glen Nyhus. “We do realize we need to increase density for the population, however it also has to fit all the other concerns.”

Another issue is traffic congestion.

Neil Palmer’s 90-year-old mother has lived behind the Preston Springs property for 50 years.

“She has required an ambulance a few times already this year, and if it had been a rush hour, it would have taken a long time to get there,” he explained.

“This street is so busy,” said Jenni Does, who lives nearby and is also a realtor. “Nobody wants to walk across the street. I’ve lived in the area for almost 10 years. You barely see anyone walk across the street. There’s no sidewalks for it right now.”

Another development is also planned across the street.

“[The Haastown Holdings proposal] is on top of what the city has already approved right across the road for three towers, totalling 600 units already,” Palmer said.

As a realtor, Does worries about her ability to sell real estate in the area.

“For me to sell a home on Abraham [Street] now will be a challenge in our neighbourhood of Kitchener Road, Cyrus Street, that whole area,” she said. “That will be a challenge because people will see how difficult it is to even get in and out of that street.”

WARD COUNCILLOR RESPONDS

Cambridge Ward 3 councillor Corey Kimpson called the proposal “ambitious” in an email to CTV News.

Kimpson said, in part: “As a lifelong Preston resident, I am very familiar with this property and intersection. Nearly every day I drive through it and have experienced the congestion first hand. I do have serious concerns about how the traffic will flow around this development and the already approved development at 255 King St. on the former Kress property and how the proposed egress onto Abraham St. will impact the neighbouring homes. Tonight we will hear from the developer and have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback before staff complete the recommendation report. I will also be listening carefully to the residents and hope that the developer and their consulting team are doing the same.”

-- With reporting by Spencer Turcotte