The City of Port Colborne was to celebrate the completion of the long-awaited exterior restoration of the Roselawn Centre for the Arts heritage building on July 24. The project was funded in part by the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program (up to $140,000), delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), and the Friends of Roselawn Centre ($50,000).
“Restoration of the Roselawn Centre for the Arts has preserved the historic aesthetic of this important heritage building in Port Colborne,” said Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre. “I am proud to see my community benefit from the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, so that residents and visitors to the city can continue to enjoy this celebrated community space.”
The goal of this project was to restore the complete exterior envelope of the original 1870s mansion and the 1930s additions on the West and North sides, and to improve overall accessibility for the building. The asphalt shingle roofing on the tower and mansard roof were completely replaced, as was the front entrance vestibule, the east bay window, and the flat roof on the tower. Work also included the installment of new prefinished steel caps to outfit the chimneys. Several elements remained unaltered, such as the modified bitumen roofing and the majority of the brick and stone masonry walls that were in good condition, unless necessary due to adjacent or interconnected work.
“We are so excited that a historic landmark in our city, beloved by many, has been restored to its original beauty,” said Port Colborne Mayor John Maloney. “Partnerships and funding from the Canadian government and local organizations has been instrumental to the success of this project and we are extremely grateful.”
The Roselawn Centre is home to the City of Port Colborne’s Community Services & Economic Development Department, Showboat Festival Theatre, and Canadian Authours’ Series. The Centre hosts numerous recreation programs (including Little Chefs), a variety of art classes, and provides room rentals for private, milestone, and corporate events.
The exterior portion of the building was identified in a 2010 Quartek Group Condition study and an Exterior Building Condition Assessment by Shoalts Engineering in 2017. The total project cost was more than $474,000. King Construction was hired as the general contractor through a tendering process and included sub-contractors Don Greenlaw Masonry and D F Brown Roofing.
Phase two of the Roselawn project will be to have an assessment of the interior completed. This will only involve the mansion area interior.
