Dating back to 1955, some feel the old St. Barnabas Church should be kept standing, while others think demolition is in order after sitting empty for years.
The Anglican Diocese, which owns the church at 2115 Chilver Rd., has accepted an offer to sell the building with one condition -- full demolition.
Committee member and councillor Hilary Payne was the only one who supported the church's plan. "The property owner wants to realize the value of that property," says Payne. "If the opposition goes through council, then they will be literally stuck with a property that they can do nothing with and they will still have the cost of maintaining it. It's just going to deteriorate because they can't afford to keep it up for the next 50 years."
Payne says it's unfair to deny demolition after years of trying to sell the building unsuccessfully. "I think it has got rather frightening implications for people who own buildings that have an architectural merit and they're libel to find they can't sell it," says Payne. "Even worse than that, if the application for demolition is turned down than the building will also be designated (heritage) which makes it even more difficult to dispose of it."
The diocese has been trying to sell the church for more than three years with no luck. The property is listed at $299,000.
City council will have final say on the issue.
