Niagara-on-the-Lake residents and heritage supporters have given a thumbs down review of The Shaw Festival’s proposed new Royal George Theatre project.

Maria Vaneva, owner of the Historic Wilson-Guy House bed and breakfast at 177 Victoria Ave., said the proposed $150-million new Royal George Theatre would “negatively” impact her business, her lifestyle and her retirement.

“It is not a respectful renovation,” said Vaneva, during the town’s July 9 planning meeting. “It is a complete transformation.”

She said if the project is approved by council, it will “open the floodgates” to other “megaprojects” such as a hotel in the historic district.

“I’m not opposed to a rebuild,” said Vaneva. “But it has to be respectful to the historical district.”

Vaneva, along with her husband, Dimitar Minkov, said the project with its “massive scale of the modern building, the public disruption, the taking down of mature trees, and parking issues” would completely transform Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Other residents echoed Vaneva’s criticisms.

The proposed theatre will accommodate 350 people, up slightly from the current 335, and include a new lobby and rehearsal space and a new loading dock. The project would also cut down mature trees and demolish four existing residential or commercial buildings, including 178 Victoria St., which dates back to about the 1820s; 83-85 Queen St.; 79 Queen St., also known as Tranter’s House; and 188 Victoria St., also known as Dicken’s Den.

All four properties are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act and are located within the Queen-Picton Heritage Conservation District.

The Royal George Theatre building was constructed about 1914-15 for commercial operations. The façade was transformed in the postwar period, associated with architect John Peter Stokes. The Shaw Festival purchased the building in 1981.

Valmai Howe Elkins, who lives in the area, said the Royal George Theatre should be restored rather than expanded. She said tourists stop in front of the current theatre and admire its architecture. The new building will only turn off tourists and change the entire Queen Street streetscape, she said.

During a July 10 town heritage meeting, committee member Brian Marshall suggested placing the former Niagara-on-the-Lake courthouse building onto the current site of the Royal George Theatre to give the public an idea of what a new theatre structure would look like in the residential neighbourhood.

“The (residential) buildings are just dwarfed,” said Marshall. He called the proposed structure’s impact on Victoria Street “especially egregious.”

“This will be a completely dominant feature,” said Marshall. “It is completely incongruous with the streetscape. Effectively, the entire heritage district will be negatively impacted. It is not achievable in its current form.”

Heritage committee member Rita Trudeau agreed the proposed theatre will “dominate” the street.

“It’s too massive,” said Trudeau.

Tim Jennings, executive director of The Shaw Festival, said the current Royal George Theatre is “failing badly” with a basement that floods during rainstorms, no lobby for patrons to gather in and a building that is not accessible.

He said a theatre has been located on Queen Street for about 115 years, and when a proposal was made years ago to relocate the theatre outside the area, residents opposed the move. Several residents appearing before the planning committee at town hall, which was filled, suggested building the new theatre on the old hospital lands on Wellington Street.

“(The theatre) has been intertwined with the Queen Street area for years,” said Jennings.

Jennings said Shaw Festival officials confirmed there will be an open house July 16 for the public at the Royal George Theatre to provide further information.

Jennings also assured the public and councillors Shaw officials have not applied for any demolition permits.

The Shaw has applied for an official plan and rezoning bylaw amendments for the redevelopment and to permit theatre use on the expanded property.

The project includes 68.7 per cent lot coverage, three-storeys above grade, an increase of 1.6 metres to the fly tower for a total of 19 meters, and a four-metre increase to the pediment for a total height of 14 meters, which would raise the ground floor above the water table to mitigate the flooding issues.

There will also be a loading dock and 257 parking spaces on-site. Jennings said the loading dock would be used about 10 times annually.

With a renovated theatre, Shaw officials said the theatre would provide additional programming for families and children during the January to March period and introduce additional shows for seniors, which means creating an accessible environment.

Jennings said during the planning meeting there would be no restaurant on-site, although refreshments will be served to patrons. There won’t be any weddings held at the refurbished theatre.

Nathalie Desrosiers, senior heritage lead for McCallum Sather, said during the heritage committee meeting the Royal George Theatre building was not “built” to remain forever.

She told the heritage committee it does not have any “architectural value,” and while it is a landmark in Niagara-on-the-Lake, “it is not an exceptional building.”

Desrosiers said when the 300-metre Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 as the focal point of the 1889 World’s Fair, it was criticized for its design.

“Now it is a landmark,” said Desrosiers.

She said the Royal George Theatre needs a larger space because it is a theatre and not a residential house.

“This is a completely different reality,” she said.

Heritage committee member David Snelgrove said he does support redeveloping the Royal George Theatre, but the “trick is to do this as sympathetically as possible.”

Coun. Tim Balasiuk said he was concerned about how much space the building will use as it expands within the residential neighbourhood.

“I’m excited and nervous as the same time,” he said.

In a report, heritage committee staff said the heritage impact assessment “does not adequately address negative impacts of the proposal” onto the Queen-Picton Heritage Conservation District, including on 178 and 188 Victoria St. and 79 Queen St.

The committee approved staff’s recommendations for the Shaw Festival and its consultants to provide additional information.

“We understand this is a big change,” said Jennings. “We are willing to work with staff to mitigate the impact.”

Earlier this year, the province announced it was providing $35 million in funding to The Shaw Festival over three years for the reconstruction of the Royal George Theatre. The theatre will close at the end of 2025, with a target of a spring 2029 reopening.

The Shaw Festival generates about $300 million in tourism activity for the region and more than $70 million in economic impact for Niagara-on-the-Lake annually.

By Kevin Werner for www.niagarathisweek.com.

Photos: (top) Royal George Theatre in 2024; (middle) image of proposed rebuilt Royal George Theatre.