McLaren Hotel owner challenges heritage designation

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This article was published 12/07/2019 (2468 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The McLaren Hotel has been singled out for a heritage designation.

The 109-year-old structure in downtown Winnipeg was cited for its seven-storey brick facade and the metal flagpole that sits atop the building.

The hotel’s owner, however, is opposing the designation.

“What is special about a metal flagpole?” Rubinder Gill said in a hand-written response to the City of Winnipeg urban planning and design division.

The hotel is one of five downtown-area buildings under consideration by the historical building and resources committee at its July 17 meeting.

In addition to the flagpole, among the McLaren’s character-defining elements (as noted in an administrative report):

• Its location at the southwest corner of Main Street and Rupert Avenue;
• Ornately-finished exterior doors on the building’s north and east facade;
• Arched window openings on all seven storeys of the west facade.

The report notes the hotel has been in continuous operation since it opened in 1910.

City report on historic features of McLaren Hotel

Constructed at a cost of $165,000 (roughly $3.8 million in 2019 dollars), it was considered one of Winnipeg’s three best hotels at the time, with its rooms available for $2.50 per day. Today, it is home to mostly individuals living on social assistance.

The rectangular, brick building was designed in what’s known as the Chicago School. (The best-known example in Winnipeg had been the old Eaton’s department store building on Portage Avenue, which was ultimately demolished to make way for Bell MTS Place.)

“This large, imposing structure has been an important part of two downtown streetscapes for over 100 years and contributes to the historical continuity of the area,” the report states. “This building’s size, design, materials and location make it a very conspicuous structure that most Winnipeggers would be familiar with.”

Gill couldn’t be reached for comment, but in a submission said he opposes the designation. He disputed the merits of the flagpole and said most of the doors on the hotel have been replaced.

“We don’t believe our building is unique, and can be found elsewhere in the city,” Gill wrote in his submission. “We did not note any ornate doors. Majority of doors replaced to suit current occupancy of low-income housing.”

The historical buildings committee consists of volunteers from the engineering, architecture and planning fields, chaired by a city councillor (currently Coun. John Orlikow).

No in-person presentations are allowed at committee meetings, but building owners can state their support or opposition to designation in writing. The committee’s decisions are forwarded to the property and development committee, which can make the designation official — unless the building owner objects; which then requires the approval of council.

Building owners are allowed to make in-person presentation at the property and development committee and, if necessary, at meetings of council.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca