Opinions about Iona College’s disrepair is conflicting

By Kacie Cooper

Consultants hired by the University of Windsor to asses Iona College have conflicting results about the building’s state.

When deciding to allow the demolition of Iona College, Windsor city councillors chose to accept the opinion of the consultant who said the building was too costly to repair and ignored the consultant who disagreed. In structural assessments done by two separate companies hired by the university, each came up with conflicting results.

In an assessment done by Rose Ferro, vice president of operations for Vince Ferro Construction Ltd., she said in her report the proposed cost to restore and renovate the building would be over a quarter of a million dollars. She states the building requires a new roof, eaves, windows, HVAC and plumbing throughout the building and much more in the way of repairs.

Despite this report done, Tito R. Marzotto, structural consultant with SNP Technical Services, reports the building is “without any appearance of major structural insufficiency.” He also states the exposed foundation walls do not exhibit any cracking that would indicate a problem with settlement or failure to restrain soil pressure, and the wood construction of various walls and ceilings is what would be expected for stud and joist construction without deflection or decay.

But in order to halt demolition plans, the city’s planning, heritage and economic development standing committee started the designation process. The recommendation just had to be endorsed by city council, who decided not to designate the building despite staff reports stating the building is worthy of heritage designation.

With the approval from city council and the building not being historically designated, the University of Windsor will be demolishing the building and turning it into a parkette with a plaque to commemorate the historical building which once stood.

When staff originally examined the building however, it was determined it would be demolished to create space for future development, which the university’s director of public affairs and communications, John Coleman, stated there was no future plans for the property other than turning it into a green space.

Late last year, Anneke Smit, an associate professor in the faculty of law at the University of Windsor sent two separate letters to city council saying she disagreed with the decision to not historically designate the building and have it demolished.

“Aside from the unique architectural features of the house and its inclusion in “Judge’s Row”, the Macdonald house [Iona College] has important associative value for Windsor and indeed for Canada,” said Smit. “As another Remembrance Day Passes, let’s not let this piece of Windsor’s and Canada’s history also fall.”

She goes on to say that a plaque and parkette replacing the building are far less than what this property and its history call for, and previous Heritage Planner, John Calhoun agrees.

“I’m disappointed in the decision because there was sound reason to keep the building,” said Calhoun.

The Interim Heritage Planner, Kristina Tang, could not comment on the decision to not historically designate the building.

Iona College was built in 1924 and is currently sitting on the street now known as Judge’s Row. The house was once the home of Judge Bruce J.S. Macdonald, Canada’s chief war crimes prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials and commanding officer of the Essex Scottish Regiment during the invasion of Normandy during the war. After World War II, he became a Crown attorney and undertook the difficult task of cleaning up the city’s corrupt police force and later became a judge in 1961.

Coleman said the University of Windsor is working closely with neighbours and homeowners in the area to make sure the parkette is effectively utilizing the space.