That old weathered “Acker’s Furniture” sign that has been affixed to 42 Carden Street for decades will be restored and preserved, as will a smaller sign on the Macdonell Street side of the structure.
10 Carden Shared Space Inc. announced Monday that the neon signs will come down later this week – likely on Thursday – and taken away for refurbishing and storage until the building is renovated and ready to have them reattached.
The signs are being restored to preserve the building’s history, and in recognition of the Acker family’s contribution to Guelph’s heritage.
The purchase and redevelopment of the Acker’s Furniture building is a formal collaboration between 10 Carden and Chalmers Community Services Centre. A roughly $2.5 million renovation of the classic building is underway. The purchase of the building from the Acker family took place earlier this year. The interior has been stripped down.
The signs have to come down in preparation for extensive exterior work, including new windows, structural repairs, and accessible entrances on both the Carden and Macdonell sides.
Signs Galore in nearby Breslau has been hired to remove, store and restore the signs.
“Rest assured, the Acker’s name will remain on the sign after the retrofitting is complete, with the addition of a new ‘10C creating space for change’ component to be added, that will perch on the large sign when it is reinstalled on Carden Street,” said 10 Carden founder Julia Grady in a press release.
She added the 10C project will highlight Guelph’s capacity to creatively merge the old with the new.
The project is expected to be completed later this year. It will make available 15,000 square feet of commercial space for arts, cultural and educational activities and organizations.
In partnership with the University of Guelph it will house the Downtown Guelph Community Classroom and other university services. The Chalmers Community Services Centre, Guelph-Wellington Local Immigration Partnership, Guelph Arts Council, Wellington Water Watchers, and Community Justice Initiatives, among several others, will be under the 10C roof.
The organization announced Monday that an online crowdfunding campaign will be launched in the fall to raise funds for the restoration of the signs. Details will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.
A community bond campaign to help fund the major renovation of the building has secured $650,000 in local financing.
To learn more about the project visit www.10carden.ca or call 519-780.5030.
