The historic Oakville Museum Coach House will be redeveloped into a multi-use space for cultural programs, exhibits and events for the public to enjoy. Council approved the staff recommendation on Monday night, April 3, 2017.
“Creating vibrant cultural spaces is part of our vision to make Oakville’s downtown a social, economic and cultural hub,” said Mayor Rob Burton. “We’re very excited to transform this architectural gem into a welcoming cultural space that residents and community groups will be able to use for years to come.”
The Coach House is a 180-year-old heritage building that originally served as a horse stable and residence for the estate’s gardener. In the early 1990s the town opened Erchless Estate as a museum and retrofitted the Coach House to provide collection storage space. Now that the Museum uses storage facilities at Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, the Coach House can take on a new role.
In 2016 the town engaged a consultant to review all existing reports related to the building, determine possible new uses and consult with the community to determine a preferred use.
The preferred redevelopment includes converting the main space of the building into a multi-purpose space for museum-led exhibits, programming and cultural events as well as community uses such as meetings and weddings. There will also be space for an artist-in-residence program, a small outdoor performance venue and space to accommodate food and beverage service for special events and performances.
The estimated cost to redevelop the building is $1.43-1.68 million, however staff will be applying for a grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canadian Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF) which could cover up to 50 per cent of the cost.
Staff will begin planning the redevelopment of the Coach House immediately and renovation work is expected to begin in early 2018.