Report explains reasons for Preston Springs Hotel demolition
The City of Cambridge has released a confidential report explaining its rationale for ordering the demolition of the former Preston Springs Hotel in December.
The site at 102 Fountain St. South, which was designated a property of architectural and historical significance in 1992, was built in the middle 1890s as a luxury hotel. Last December, Cambridge’s Chief Building Official called for the demolition of the building due to public-safety risks.
“We recognize that this building is a community landmark and this decision has not been made lightly,” said Dennis Purcell. “However, public safety is our first priority and there is no other option but to issue the Order to demolish.”
The order to demolish the building came as a surprise to some, and sparked protests from residents to save the building.
City records released on February 2, however, show that Purcell had presented a report to city council behind closed doors in January 2020 in which he outlined the extent to which the building was posing a public safety risk, and the rationale for his demolition recommendation.
The report includes synopses of assessments of the building by two independent engineering firms, both with heritage experience. Those findings concluded that building is likely to lead to structural failure, and that restoration of the building to meet minimum safety standards would present significant and costly challenges—none of which is guaranteed to fix the safety concerns.
Estimated costs presented in the report include:
- up to $750,000 for stabilizing the west wall and limiting access to the west addition,
- $1.5 to $2 million to make the building weather-tight and diminish the rate and extent of deterioration, and
- continued security monitoring on the site at an annual rate of $25,000.
“Given the significant challenges technically, financially and security wise of restoring the building to a minimum standard of safety identified, and evidence of uncertain results, the Chief Building Official has determined that demolition is the appropriate action,” said the report.
The building, known as the former Preston Springs Hotel, has been boarded up and vacant for over 25 years. Since the late 1990s, the city has made extensive efforts to rehabilitate the building. Finding a solution, however, proved complicated and cost prohibitive.
Over that time, the building became a target for entry by vandals, scavengers, the homeless, urban explorers, graffiti artists and thrill seekers who have caused further damage to the interior. These problems have further contributed to the condition of the property. Numerous public complaints and concerns have been received over the years by the City, Cambridge Fire and the Waterloo Regional Police Service.
Indeed, the city report from January 2020 lists several pages of complaints from the public over the past 25 years regarding the safety of the building.