LAMP community kitchen may be in jeopardy after Wesley Mimico Place development cancelled – Jan. 21, 2016 Etobicoke Guardian

A Jan. 28, 2016 Etobicoke Guardian article is entitled: “Rising heritage costs, bureaucracy the main reasons behind Wesley Mimico Place project’s cancellation: Mixed-use facility was to house seniors apartments and a community kitchen.”

A Jan. 21, 2016 Etobicoke Guardian article is entitled: “LAMP community kitchen may be in jeopardy after Wesley Mimico Place development cancelled: Ontario Trillium Foundation recently awarded LAMP $150K to build the industrial grade kitchen.”

Comment

I am sorry to hear the news.

The Wesley Mimico United Church redevelopment team has made a strong effort to address the challenges the local congregation, like many congregations across Toronto and across Canada, has been facing in recent years.

Sometimes a development is cancelled, and a new one with new marketing emerges in its place.

A positive aspect of the story to date is that the Wesley Mimico United Church building has received a measure of heritage protection:

Toronto City Council Decision – Wesley Mimico United Church redevelopment

Options for church conversions

A previous post focuses upon options for church conversions in Toronto:

Table 2 from Hackworth and Gullikson (2013) describes three Toronto church conversion categories

My guess is that the church building may be sold to a private developer who will follow the Option B scenario described in the Hackworth and Gullikson (2013) paper: “Congregation sells church and land to developer; developer demolishes or converts the church to residences but replaces at least some element or reminder of that church; examples: name, symbols, facade, plaque.”

Option C is a less likely possibility: “Congregation sells all or part of their church and land to a developer who builds around all or part of their initial place of worship; a new church (or some other service extension of the church) is built or renovated on site.”

Hackworth and Gullikson (2013)

Click here for previous posts related to Hackworth and Gullikson (2013) >

Among the above-noted posts are ones entitled:

Thirty three church conversions in Toronto – Table 1 from Hackworth and Gullikson (2013)

Giving new meaning to religious conversion – Jason Hackworth and Erin Gullikson (2013)

Update

A Feb. 12, 2016 Tyee article is entitled: “Meet the Real Estate Duo Answering Vancouver Prayers: No, not housing prayers. These guys sell most of Metro Van’s churches.”