 Where is the Heritage Theatre Block located? |
Four properties that make up the Heritage Theatre Block in downtown Brampton They are located just north of the historic Four Corners intersection (Main and Queen Streets) at 72-82 Main Street North.
The site contains a two-storey theatre building, known as the Heritage Theatre, with a 550 seat capacity and three two-storey commercial properties. The four buildings are immediately adjacent to one another forming a continuous street wall, but do not share walls between the buildings.
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| What is the history behind the Block? |
The Heritage Theatre proper was built in 1922 and opened on February 28, 1923 as the Capitol Theatre. The Capitol Theatre was used for the presentation of vaudeville acts and silent films. The opening of a commercial theatre in the heart of downtown Brampton was a major event that marked Brampton’s growth as a residential community. In the 1920’s, a theatre of this size was considered to be large and was not typically found outside the major cities.
The vaudeville and silent film era came to an end in Brampton when the Odeon Corporation purchased the theatre in 1946. The original orchestra pit was removed and new technical upgrades were made for the projection of “talking films”.
The theatre was purchased by the City of Brampton in 1981 from the Odeon Corporation. It opened as the Heritage Theatre in 1988 and was used as a municipal theatre for professional presenting and community cultural rentals. The theatre has been unoccupied and under review since 2006.
The property is located on a former flood plain. The Etobicoke Creek originally ran nearby under Main Street and opened onto Hanna Street (now Theatre Lane). The Capitol Theatre (82 Main Street North) and Robson Block (72-74 Main Street North) survived several floods, including the historic flood of 1948. |
| What is the current status of the Heritage Theatre Block? |
The City is developing a plan for the potential future uses of the Heritage Theatre Block. The City hired ERA Architects Inc. to develop a business plan, and the firm has submitted a report outlining potential adaptive reuse options.
The adaptive reuse business plan was approved at Committee of Council on April 18, 2012. City staff was directed to seek public and key stakeholder input on the adaptive reuse of the Block. |
| What is the adaptive reuse business plan? |
The adaptive reuse business plan includes several possible options for the Block. Possibilities vary, from a potential educational institution (using the entire block), to a multiple-tenant situation, with an “anchor tenant”, either public (e.g. a city-run performance venue) or private (e.g. a high-profile retail store / commercial enterprise). While these adaptive reuse options are worthy of consideration, other available options to the community may be also be worthy of consideration. |
| How does this relate to the Brampton Downtown Revitalization initiative? |
The goal of Downtown Revitalization is that the Four Corners area will continue to be the “… physical centre of Brampton, location of main civic and cultural facilities, will preserve and enhance the existing heritage in compatible, pedestrian-scale development with strong urban character”.
The Heritage Theatre Block is one of several projects that are contributing to the transformation of Brampton’s downtown into a vibrant, pedestrian friendly, cultural hub. Among these are the Downtown HACE Creative Economy Plan; the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archive; the South-West Quadrant Redevelopment; Alderlea Adaptive Reuse Project; the Public Art Program; and the Hurontario/Main Street LRT Project.
The adaptive reuse of the Heritage Theatre Block presents a valuable opportunity to build synergies with Brampton’s Downtown Urban Design Vision with the Downtown HACE Creative Economy Plan objectives. |
| What is the objective of the Public Open House? |
The objective of the Public Open House is threefold:
- to inform you on the progress the City has made on realizing a plan for the Heritage Theatre Block’s adaptive reuse;
- to present you with a range of possibilities for the Block’s adaptive reuse and solicit public feedback on these possibilities, as well as hear other possible ideas the public may have;
- to provide you with information on the City’s next steps in determining potential options for the Block’s reuse.
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| How will my feedback be used? |
As the City seeks partners in the adaptive reuse of the Block, the EOI (or some similar approach) will be used to solicit interest from private, institutional, and community-based groups.
Feedback from the Public Open House will be used by the City to determine what it might look for in potential partners. Your feedback will be used to inform the development of the scope and terms of an Expression of Interest (EOI) document.
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| When is the Public Open House? |
The Public Open House will be held on June 26, 2012 from 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm.
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| Do I need to pre-register to attend? |
There is no need to pre-register to attend the Public Open House.
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| I’m interested but cannot attend the Public Open House, how can I provide input? |
Please refer to the Heritage Theatre Block Adaptive Reuse webpage on the City’s website. Here you can learn more about the possibilities for future uses of the Block, and submit your comments to the project team.
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| Who do I contact for more information? |
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