A historic farm house in Coquitlam's oldest neighbourhood will soon be restored as part of a planned 80-unit multi-family housing project.
On Monday, city council unanimously gave first reading to heritage revitalization agreement and designation bylaws that, if approved, would see the "Red House" re-created among 66 new apartments and 14 townhomes in Maillardville.
The site is located across from Place des Arts at 1121-1123 Brunette Ave., 1135 Brunette Ave., 209-213 Therrien St. and 208 Begin St.
Built in 1912, the Red House was first used as a mushroom barn on Begin Street and owned by Tom Allard, a Fraser Mills steamfitter who later served as an alderman. Its next owner, Tom Filiatrault, a Fraser Mills pipefitter, moved the Red House to its present site in 1920 at 1123-1129 Brunette Ave. and turned it into a fourplex with a barbershop. According to heritage inventory records, it was called the Red House because of its siding's "boxcar red" colour.
In 2011, architect Matthew Cheng told city council that Guang Xin Trading Ltd. had bought four properties across from Place des Arts and had an offer to buy the Red House lot. But last year, the dilapidated heritage building was gutted by fire, ruining about 70% of it.
Coun. Terry O'Neill said the restoration of Red House - along with the planned multi-housing development - will be a boost for Maillardville. And Coun. Craig Hodge, chair of the city's Maillardville Commercial and Cultural Revitalization Advisory Committee, said his group asks regularly about the plans for Red House.
"This has the potential to be another win for us," Hodge said, referring to the city's push to preserve Maillardville heritage buildings.
Earlier this year, city staff indicated they were looking to save Booth Farm, a 112-year-old dairy farmhouse, owned by Maillardville pioneer Ralph Booth, that once hosted community picnics and other large gatherings.
Under the city's heritage inventory, which was revised in 2007, Booth Farm is considered one of eight "primary properties" in Maillardville with historical value. The other seven are:
1120 Brunette Ave. (Ryan House), built in 1908, owned by the city;
1120 Brunette Ave. (Mackin House), built in 1913, owned by the city;
1319 Brunette Ave. (Hamlin House), built in 1910, owned privately;
1313 Cartier Ave., built in 1910, owned privately;
830 Laval Sq. (Notre Dame de Lourdes Church), built in 1938;
310 Marathon Crt. (Brehaut House), built in 1898 or 1909, owned privately;
609 Rochester Ave., built in 1920, owned privately.
Another six properties are classed as "secondary" - that is, meeting most criteria for architectural, historical and contextual merit - while a further 21 Maillardville buildings fall under the "supporting" list.
A public hearing on the Red House revitalization and its surrounding development is scheduled for Nov. 25.
