The long-ago-grand Union Hotel at Main Street and Davis Drive will soon be up for sale, but one Newmarket resident questions why anyone would be interested in purchasing it.
“A developer can’t just knock it down,” said Malcolm Watts, a member of the Newmarket Heritage Advisory Committee.
With a newly minted heritage designation, the circa-1882 Union Hotel and its nearby sister residence stand on prime real estate slated for high-density development. The Colonial Revival-style building has fallen into such a state of disrepair, however, that “serious” restoration work is required, Watts said.
“It’s been sitting there in limbo for about five years, if not longer,” he said. “It requires heritage restoration. It's a labour of love. My view is the government has to take more responsibility for these buildings and find some public money to do some of the work to make it saleable.”
The Regional Municipality of York purchased the property, on the northeast corner, along with many others along Davis to make room for the Viva rapidway, which was completed in 2015. The former luxury hotel, reflective of early urban development about the time Newmarket was incorporated as a town, and its sister building had to be set back on the property to accommodate the new sidewalk and boulevard.
During that move, the hotel suffered some structural damage and the exterior brickwork further deteriorated, Watts argued, due to being moved twice to get it onto a new foundation. The structure's age and the elements have also contributed to its run-down condition, he added.
The hotel was placed on temporary beams at the back of the property while the foundations for the final location were constructed, York Region communications director Patrick Casey said, adding the second move was from the temporary beams to the permanent foundations.
"The Union Hotel now sits on a solid foundation, standing ready for a new owner that will finish the renovations to meet their needs," said Casey.
Town planning and building services director Rick Nethery said the Union Hotel’s location is zoned for commercial, residential and office use, allowing for a wide range of development options.
“We’d love to see (the Union Hotel) taken to the next level," Nethery said.
But prospective buyers will need more than good intentions and deep pockets to renovate a property that has been officially recognized as having historical and cultural value to a community.
That's because any renovation of the property that includes elements deemed as “heritage attributes” would require a special heritage permit from the Town, along with approvals from any committees involved in preserving its historical value. Heritage buildings are protected from demolition and changes to the building must be sensitive to their heritage value, according to Town policy.
Newmarket Regional Councillor John Taylor said the property will go on the market before Christmas.
“I’m really excited to see it re-imagined,” Taylor said. “The private sector is pretty savvy. People are interested in maintaining the heritage part.”
The next step is for the regional government to obtain an independent appraisal by an accredited member of the Appraisal Institute of Canada, and the sale price will be based on the appraised value. The property is then listed on the open market (MLS) via an independent real estate broker, and the sale price will be the highest unconditional offer received, provided it is supported by the appraised value, Casey said.
"The Regional Municipality of York and Town of Newmarket are aligned regarding the historic Union Hotel. Great care and attention continues to be spent on this important building to the community," he added.
Newmarket has 40 heritage-designated properties, including the Newmarket Train Station, Old Town Hall, John Bogart House, King George School and Quaker Meeting House.
The Union Hotel at 425 Davis Dr., along with the adjacent building, has been designated a heritage property because it is representative of the town's early development and prominent local citizens who held court there. Like other towns in Ontario during that period, hotels were a prominent part of the landscape. In 1880, Newmarket had no less than 10 hotels. Travellers on the Simcoe-Huron railroad reportedly took refuge at the Union Hotel, which also served as a social hub for political meetings, court proceedings and more, according to the Town's heritage bylaw document.
"The Union Hotel is associated with its many owners/operators who contributed to the development of the hotel and the commercial history of Newmarket. James P. Flanagan, erected the hotel circa-1882. Flanagan’s son, Thomas Flanagan, continued the operation of the hotel until 1896. The Town of Newmarket’s Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) has indicated that during this time it also may have operated as a brothel. James Burke, who also operated the Newmarket Soda Water Works Company, owned the property from 1897 to 1907. Burke moved the soda operation onto the property. Patrick Hodgins owned the property after Burke and constructed the adjacent building at 431 Davis Dr. The end of the hotel’s operation appears to coincide with the Temperance Movement when Newmarket went dry in 1911," historical records show.
Cultural heritage attributes of the Union Hotel include:
- Two-storey Colonial/Georgian Revival-style building
- Square floor plan
- Hip roof
- Three-bay façade
- Buff Stickwood brick
- Clapboard/shiplap beneath brick cladding
- Central entryway with transom and sidelights
- Four-bay west and east elevations
- Sashed two-over-two windows
- Radiating brick lintels above the window and door openings
- Situated close to the road and the northeast corner of Davis Drive and Main Street
- Historic residence adjacent to the former hotel building
- Location in the commercial core of Newmarket
