Residents who support the restoration of the historic Petrie Building in downtown Guelph will soon have a chance to figuratively buy a piece of it.
A crowdfunding campaign that will allow people to sponsor a specific restored piece of the Wyndham Street building's facade is expected to be up and running soon.
It will take place on This Place Matters, a crowdfunding platform run through the National Trust For Canada, a charitable organization that focus on preserving and maintaining historic places.
Susan Ratcliffe, head of the Guelph-Wellington branch of Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, told Guelph City Council Monday night that the campaign will be called "Piece of the Petrie."
"We hope to not only involve Guelph, but people all across Canada," Ratcliffe said, callling the Petrie "a dated beauty, green and wrinkled on lower Wyndham Street."
"The Petrie is a local icon, a national treasure," Ratcliffe said. "It will help shape a communities unique identity and be a major attraction for tourists."
She said there has already been offers of financial support for the project from across the country.
Ratcliffe was at council to support a $91,000 Heritage Reserve Grant that council later voted unanimously to grant to Tyrcathlen Partners, owners of the 15 Wyndham St. N. location who are currently renovating and restoring the 130-year-old building.
That grant, for the restoration of the building's unique metal facade, comes in the form of a property tax relief of the projected increase in tax revenue the building will generate and is spread out over 10 years.
"We're not giving away money," said councillor Bob Bell, "we're just not raising taxes on the building for 10 years. If it wasn't renovated it would be status quo."
