HomeMy WebLinkAboutHK - 2016-04-05 - Item 2 - Overview of the Kitchener Great Places Awards
March 17, 2016
Date:
Heritage Kitchener
To:
Sandra Parks, Heritage Planner
From:
For Information – re presentation at April 5, 2016, Heritage Kitchener meeting
Subject:
Kitchener’s Great Places Awards (including Mike Wagner Heritage Awards)
In November of last year, Council approved the reorganization of the City’s comprehensive
planning awards program in order to celebrate a broader range of categories under one
program event. Called Kitchener’s Great Places Awards, the biennial program includes the Mike
Wagner Heritage Awards, as well as urban design and sustainability awards.
The Mike Wagner Heritage Award program was established in 1997 to pay tribute to property
owners and businesses who have contributed to the conservation of the City’s cultural heritage
resources. The program is named after former City Councillor Mike Wagner who served on City
Council from 1989 to 1997, and who was a strong advocate for heritage, culture and the arts.
The program includes three award categories:
Preservation / Restoration of Cultural Heritage Resources;
Rehabilitation / Adaptive Reuse of Cultural Heritage Resources; and,
Individual Contributions to the Field of Heritage Conservation.
In 2013, the last awards presentation year, the following projects were awarded by Council:
Rehabilitation / Adaptive Reuse Award
Arrow Lofts, 112 Benton Street
Breithaupt Block, 51 Breithaupt Street
34 Mansion Street
27 Schneider Avenue
You may visit the link below to watch a short video profile of the 2013 award recipients:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxbKKPKk2G4
Nominations for the MWHA will also be eligible for two new award categories:
1.People’s Choice Award: given to a project that receives the most number of votes from
the community through a variety of polling options. Projects for consideration will be
short-listed to a group of up to 10 projects from those eligible in the Urban Design,
Neighbourhood Design, Urban Elements, Mike Wagner Heritage and Sustainable
Kitchener categories that contribute to making Kitchener a great city.
2.Schmalz Award for Design Leadership: given to an exceptional project that achieves
overall excellence in meeting the City’s objectives in two or more categories - urban
design, heritage conservation, and sustainable design. It represents the best overall
project of the awards program. Named after W.H.E. Schmalz, the architect who
designed Kitchener’s first City Hall and clock tower (which is now a landmark in Victoria
Park) along with numerous other buildings in the City. His father, W.H. Schmalz, was
mayor when the Town of Berlin became a City.
At the April 5 Heritage Kitchener meeting, staff will make a presentation about the
awards, and will highlight properties which have received Designated Heritage Property
Grants or been issued Heritage Permits since April 2013 and may be deserving of a
nomination. Staff will also distribute nomination forms for members to complete or give
to friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues to use.
2 - 1