Brant County councilors are supporting plans to demolish the former Supertest Service Station in St. George and replacing it with a parking lot.
Councilors, at a Tuesday administration and operations committee, recommended tearing the building at 2 Beverly St. Their recommendation will come before Brant County Council for approval on April 26.
The recommendation followed a passionate presentation by Nancy Carubba to re-purpose the building into the St. George Creative Arts Centre.
Carubba, representing the St. George Historical Super Test Committee, said the center would be a ‘not for profit’ affordable space for local artisan entrepreneurs to create, show and sell their work.
Under the committee’s proposal, the building would include an information desk promoting local businesses in conjunction with the St. George Business Improvement Area. The center would also be available for meetings, workshops and youth and seniors programming.
The county to handle maintenance and repairs costs while the committee would be responsible for the centre’s daily operations.
Carubba said six artisans have expressed interest in renting space in the proposed center and two community community groups said they could foresee renting it.
A previous plan to have the St. George Garden Club operate the site was abandoned because the building isn’t big enough, Carubba said.
“The St. George Creative Arts Center will be a place where we celebrate arts, agriculture and community,” Carubba said. “A place where creative culture thrives.”
But Mayor David Bailey pointed out that there are nine other community halls within a four minute walk of 2 Beverly St. that had space available for artisans, groups and organizations to rent.
But Carubba countered that the proposed creative arts center would be a coalition of artisan-entrepreneurs.
“Yes, there are other places but the reason this is different is because it’s a coalition of artisans and community groups and it will be a creative arts centre,” she said. .
count. John MacAlpine spoke in favor of the re-purposing the building.
“What they’re looking for is a home for the arts,” MacAlpine said. “This unique location could act as a tourist attraction for the community.
“I’d like to give this group an opportunity to work with the county to re-purpose the building.”
Saving the building has garnered a great deal of support, he added.
However, councilors also received a petition signed by more than 50 people calling for the building to be demolished in favor of parking.
Retaining the former service station and using the rest of the property for parking would cost about $797,000. Most of the money -about $400,000 -would be used to restore and renovate the building.
Demolition would cost about $397,000
Dating back to 1834, the property has been home to the Snowball Wagon Co, the Jackson Wagon Work, as well as a Supertest service station which occupied the site until the mid-1970s. It was once home to an auto repair garage and then a Truck-Tech Performance Ltd. lease.
County councilors have also recommended that a plaque or storyboard capturing the history of the site be placed on the property.
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