Exciting Possibilities for the Former St. James Anglican Church in Ingersoll

Thursday, 19 September 2019 12:33

The St. James Anglican Church is one step closer to being a commercial building in Downtown Ingersoll.

INGERSOLL - The St. James Anglican Church is one step closer to being a commercial building in Downtown Ingersoll.

A Toronto Developer has purchased the nearly 200 year old property and Ingersoll Town Council has approved a rezoning request, that will now need to go before Oxford County council.

Mayor Ted Comiskey says the building could be used for any commercial property if it gets approval, including a restaurant or micro brewery but nothing has been set just set.

"There has been no site plans or anything brought to the Town in terms of how the developer is planning to reworking the structure itself at this point and time because they are waiting for rezoning. Whether there is or isn't a micro brewery, I think that micro breweries right now are an asset to communities right now because they are unique and they draw and attract people to the town. It doesn't attract drunkenness or abuse, what it's doing is bringing in something unique and it is something that would be advantageous for a community to have."

Comiskey says the developer hasn't made it clear, what they want to do with the building and if it is re-zoned as commercial, they will have plenty of options. He notes this is good news that the historic building will remain in downtown Ingersoll.

"When you have more commercial outlets and attractive commercial outlets, you are bringing people to the downtown core and I think that is the desire of all small communities in Ontario these days, not to lose their downtown. When you have a developer come to town with some good ideas and that idea being two fold, maintaining the building structure so that we have that unique and historic site and number 2, bringing commercial to the downtown core is advantageous for everyone."

Comiskey says this good news for the downtown and they are excited to work with the new owners.