In an expedited effort to protect the former Pattinson Woollen Mill from the wrecking ball, the City of Cambridge has initiated the process to designate the 1870s Preston mill a culturally important heritage structure.
The move comes just days after CambridgeToday revealed the former mill at 498 Eagle St. N. is up for sale with concept plans for potential residential development attached.
At tonight's council meeting, councillors voted to waive a notice of motion and immediately table a motion to begin the designation process.
Council voted unanimously in favour of directing the city's heritage planning staff to conduct research on the property to determine its cultural heritage attributes for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Once the research is complete, heritage planning staff will bring a recommendation report to the city's municipal heritage advisory committee for a recommendation to council.
Coun. Donna Reid, who brought the motion forward, spoke to its need and said it was Coun. Corey Kimpson who brought the property's sale to her attention citing its historical relevance to Preston.
"When a property is for sale, often times the buildings become demolished and if we could keep this wonderful building, we would like to do so," she said.
The mill, originally named the James Crombie and Company mill, was passed down through the generations and ended up in the sole ownership of English migrant George Pattinson.
It operated as a mill until 1958 and is currently home to several businesses who lease spaces on the property.
The property is owned by Hamilton investment firm Forge & Foster and was placed on the market last month along with concept plans for a mixed-use residential and commercial development that repurposes the existing buildings.
The property is directly on the planned ION LRT route through Cambridge and is considered prime space for development despite some drawbacks to the site, including a portion of greenspace that once served as a municipal dump.
