Viability of the Centre Pier

Read our
Economic Assessment.

cover of Heritage Assessment

Prepared by NetGain Partners Inc. for The Pier Group, and with forward by Mr. Don Rumgay, this in depth study makes for interesting reading and illustrates the value we have in the Centre Pier buildings and the potential in them for the future of our towns prosperity.

This study was made possible through a generous grant from the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario Inc., Port Hope Branch.

NetGain Partners is a team of experienced management
specialists committed to helping not-for-profit and public sector
organizations reach their goals.

The possession of a cleaned-up centre pier will present the Municipality of Port Hope with the greatest redevelopment opportunity in its history.

The pier is blessed with four, well-maintained, unique, industrial buildings. Combined the buildings cover 86,000 square feet or about 17% of the total site area, leaving 83% of the site for parkland and parking space.

If the Pier is to be successful, buildings will be necessary for various activities, and those presently in existence would cost many millions of dollars to replace. As well, their unique characteristics provide the opportunity to create a special harbourfront experience which will differentiate Port Hope from the standard “park beside a yacht basin” configuration common to all lakeside towns.

The realization of the pier vision will take time and effort, but meanwhile any plans for the demolition of the pier buildings should be suspended. As doctors say, “first do no harm”.

– Don Rumgay, in the Forward to the Economic Assessment

 

Our studies show that commercial and public use of the existing buildings would complement the rest of the waterfront revitalization and add significantly to its use, providing year- round facilities and potential economic benefits. This could be done in a manner that is consistent with the unique character of Port Hope.

Three key factors determine long-term success in built heritage preservation projects:

  1. For heritage buildings to survive in the long term, they must be given a purpose that allows them to make a direct and indirect economic contribution.
  2. It is not enough just to be old. Buildings have to be central to a community’s understanding of itself before sustainable public support emerges for their restoration and development.
  3. Congruence between heritage projects and the existing plans for surrounding areas can make the difference between success and failure.

Buildings on Port Hope’s Centre Pier have the potential to meet all these criteria.

Comparable waterfront revitalization projects, in both cities and towns, reveal how much of a difference the reuse of the pier buildings would make for Port Hope. Regardless of exactly how a town measures competitive success, our research shows that a waterfront that offers a rich mix of experiences, including heritage appreciation, is better than one that lacks these extra dimensions.

– from the Executive Summary by NetGain Partners