As a condo board member of a heritage building, you play a critical role in maintaining the historical integrity of the property. Here we look at what the stewardship of one of the GTA’s historic condo conversions looks like for your condo board directors.

Historic Preservation

Heritage conversions require the retention of notable elements that reflect the building’s past with the seamless introduction of new elements that improve comfort, energy efficiency, and functionality.

Common historical features your board must help preserve include:

• Windows and doors
• Decorative features such as moulding, wall panels, flooring, stairs, etc.
• Original roofing materials such as slate
• Chimneys
• Porches/verandas/balconies
• Building façades such as original masonry
• Lobby/common element design features such as original plaster moulding, marble floors, original frieze designs, elevator facings, chandeliers, etc.

Cost of Historic Preservation

The high costs of historic preservation don’t only apply to the initial conversion, but ongoing costs as old materials deteriorate. As a result, your board must ensure they address these costs for future projects in your reserve fund and budget plans.

For example, restoring original brickwork for both interior and exterior walls requires either sourcing matching reclaimed brick or arranging for customized brick production. The process also requires running a series of tests to match the brick-and-mortar tints and then maintaining records to ensure you can fabricate an accurate match for future repairs.

Your board must consider not only the inflated price of customization or acquiring hard to find authentic materials, but the administrative costs of material sourcing and record retention.

Restoration Compliance

Heritage buildings are subject to special building regulations on top of modern building code and permit requirements. Therefore, it’s essential to enlist the guidance of an expert contractor who understands the process to remain compliant for your restoration and repair/maintenance projects.

Energy Efficiency Management

Energy efficiency can seem impossible when you have to maintain the building’s historical features. However, you can make specific modifications to improve energy efficiency.

For example, while window replacement requires preserving the original window style, frame material, and distinct historical details, you can make modern updates to improve energy efficiency as long as you go through your municipality for approval.

Conservation Planning

Conservation planning identifies the critical features that will demand attention over the life of the building, including:

• Listing the original building features of heritage significance that must be conserved
• Minimizing the impact on wear and tear of these features and materials by investigating proper care
• Identifying contractors/suppliers with experience to manage preservation of these features
• Awareness of how exterior amenities and designs impact compliance with heritage regulations
• Ensuring unit owners/residents manage conservation using reversible cosmetic changes that won’t permanently alter original features i.e., not tearing out original hardwood floors
• Ensuring all updates balance the introduction of modern amenities with preservation regulations
• Applying period-appropriate materials and installation techniques
• Careful installation of energy-efficient upgrades to ensure they won’t compromise historic character, i.e., such as our window example

It’s a privilege to become a steward of one of the GTA’s heritage buildings. However, it takes special knowledge to navigate the regulations associated with condo heritage building management. Working with a property management company that understands the unique responsibility of stewardship will ensure you protect your building’s historic integrity.

The condo experts at CPO Management Inc, a full-service property management company in Toronto and the GTA, have had tremendous success helping condo corporations tackle restoration plans. Reach out to us today to learn how we can implement cost-saving modifications and strategies for your corporation.