9 Regina buildings granted heritage status

77 Leopold Cres. was designated a heritage property by Regina city council on Oct. 12. (DonovanMaess/CTVNews)

Nine municipal properties in Regina were granted heritage status by city council on Wednesday.

Heritage Regina said the city is relatively young and what it believes makes a heritage property can be mid-century homes and buildings.

“What components of heritage have known for years is, heritage has evolved to include what many people see as modern buildings,” Jackie Schmidt said.

The Prince Charles Apartments were completed in 1966 and overlook Central Park in downtown Regina. At the time, high-rise apartments were rare. But due to a population boom in the city in the mid-1960s, the building reflected changing social values.

Owner Ross Keith, described the proposed heritage property as an “eyesore’.

“There was a significantly different form of housing coming in at that time,” he told council. “There’s not that many of them.”

Keith said the investment opportunities available under heritage status would allow developers to add more resources to restoring the exterior of the building.

Heritage properties in the city are exempt from paying property taxes up to 50 per cent of the total value of the property for up to 10 years.

Ward 7 coun. Terina Nelson brought up concerns over how many buildings and properties in Regina were gaining heritage status and how that was affecting tax revenue.

“I find it interesting that taxpayers are putting all this money forward to do this and that’s when the interest was considered by the owners to upkeep the building,” she said.

The city said incentives created by council result in larger tax revenue streams later on.

“The incentive provokes investment in those buildings,” Ward 3 coun. Andrew Stevens said. “In the longer term, the property values increase and subsequently the tax revenue increases as well.”

Not all properties granted heritage status apply for or are approved for the tax exemption.

Mayor Sandra Masters said the city may look at a possible cap on property taxes or grants that are made available.

“There’s some follow-up to make sure we are fiscally responsible with that,” she said. “Even the fixes that happen to heritage properties need to relate to heritage. It’s a work in progress.”