Demolition work has commenced on the historic properties that formerly housed the Kent Brewery operations. The yellow brick buildings located on Ann Street, close to the Richmond Street train tracks, have a history dating back to the mid-1800s. Equipment for demolition was on-site on Monday, next to a void where the structure at 179 Ann St. previously stood.
The demolition process sparked controversy when York Development was granted permission to begin work on a 22-storey student apartment building with 214 units. The site of the old brewery had received heritage status three years prior, leading to advocacy efforts to preserve it.
Initially established in 1859 as the city’s third-largest brewery, the Kent Brewery ceased operations in 1916 due to prohibition, as stated by the London Region branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO). After changing hands among different owners, York eventually acquired the property. City councillors in London voted 11-3 in June in favor of the demolition under certain conditions set by the council.
These conditions include the careful extraction of items such as bricks, light fixtures, wooden window frames, doors, and more for potential future “commemorative installations.” The City Hall report endorsed by the council highlighted that these installations should pay homage to the Kent Brewery, the Brewer’s House, and the workers’ cottages as part of a Victorian industrial complex.
While work was progressing at two primary addresses associated with the brewery, the actual brewery building at 197 Ann St. seemed untouched on Monday.