Historic Petrie Building renovations taking longer than expected

The "exceptionally challenging" renovation of downtown Guelph's historic Petrie Building will hopefully see tenants open for business this fall.

Kirk Roberts, partner in building owner Tyrcathlen Partners, said it's been a difficult process to restore the 130-year-old heritage structure at 19 Wyndham St. N., and the adjacent property at 15 Wyndham St. N.

"This one has been exceptionally challenging given how long the building has been out of use and the structural deterioration over time due to neglect," Roberts said in updating progress of the renovations to both the interior and exterior of the property.

Those include the installation of an elevator, which Roberts calls "one of the more challenging aspects of the project."

The 20-feet wide by 90-feet deep configuration of the Petrie Building has also led to some challenges and one of the main reasons the project grew to include the adjacent address, he said.

"We had been hoping to have tenants in this summer and I think we're still hoping to have some of the tenants in as early as this fall," Roberts said.

Roberts also has an application in to open up the fourth floor of the building for use — currently a 600 square-foot attic space with 20-foot ceilings. After renovations it will be 1,300 square feet.

 He has potential tenants lined up for the fourth and third floors. Two tenants are firmed up on the ground floor and a comedy club hopes to go in the second floor.

That leaves two vacant spaces, Roberts said.

Brothers Brewing is the anchor tenant and they have been busy preparing their ground floor space.

An art gallery was going to occupy the other ground floor space at 15 Wyndham St. N. but Roberts said that will now be a restaurant that will be making its own announcement shortly.

On the second floor, a proposed gaming cafe will no longer be moving in and a comedy club that wants to move in is in limbo, awaiting a ruling by the Ontario Municipal Board on a liquor licence application that is being opposed.

A three-day hearing on that application wrapped up recently. A decision is expected in September.

Roberts said scaffolding will also be erected hopefully in the next few weeks as work begins on securing then restoring the historic facade of the building, which will be done in two stages.

Roberts said first the facade's structural integrity will be ensured, then in 18 months or so the restoration will happen.