Richmond City Council is looking at how six city-owned heritage homes could be used.
The homes, listed on the Heritage Inventory, can be found on a 63-acre site, now referred to as the Terra Nova Historical Area, where former farmland properties are being preserved for park purposes.
The homes are included within the city's historical park assets and are part of the city's program plan.
Four of the six homes are vacant and of the vacant homes, three are unrestored with one in poor condition. One of the city-owned homes was also recently acquired as a residential house.
These four vacant buildings are:
- Parsons House at 2640 River Rd.
- Cannery Store at 2760 River Rd.
- Mellis House at 2840 River Rd.
- City-owned home at 2380 Westminster Hwy.
The Edwardian Cottage, 2680 River Rd., is also listed in the Heritage Inventory, but is fully restored and currently used by the Thompson Community Association for the Terra Nova Nature School.
Meanwhile, the Terra Nova Red Barn, at 2631 Westminster Hwy., also listed as a historical asset, has a multipurpose room and a commercial kitchen that is rented by community members.
No formal heritage designations have been given to the buildings despite a 2014 heritage conservation review that deemed them to have "significant historical value."
Staff and city council are considering a major facility project for these historical buildings over the next 10 years.
This Terra Nova area is significant for its historical use by the Musqueam First Nations and for the settlement of migrants from the Maritimes and Japan, along River Road, in the late 1800s.
City staff recommended city council "identify priorities and strategies to allocate space to present and future users for the heritage building," underutilized buildings and cultural landscapes within the area.
The program plan, staff added in the report, will have recommendations for possible building upgrades for future program use.
"Ultimately, the intent of the Program Plan is to find a balance where the site is utilized to its maximum capacity, providing a broad range of programming options in alignment with the Terra Nova Concept Plan while respecting the capacity of the parks' built and natural assets to host users, events and programs," reads the report.
The development of the proposed program plan was divided into three phases, with the first phase, from April to November 2023, having already been completed.
January to April 2024 will be the second phase where the city will ask for feedback from the public. This will be followed by the third phase between May to September 2024 for final updates and completion to the plan.
