A conference centre, themed rooms, a retirement home — just some of the suggestions for Amherstburg's Belle Vue National Historic Site.
The $3.5-million restoration of the 200-year-old house on Dalhousie St. has become a key project for the town and residents were invited to give their input at a meeting held at the Libro Centre on Tuesday evening.
Amherstburg resident Bille Gardner is encouraged by plans for a greenhouse to be included on the site and thinks it can be a big draw for the town. "The man who came and built this home was trying to say to the rest of the British colonies in this area that this was a place to bring money, to invest, to settle, we can make this place work," says Gardner. "Getting this house back up into shape will help make this town work."
In all, it's expected to cost about $9-million to develop the entire property.
Michael Prue is with the Belle Vue Conservancy group and feels the project can be a great win for the town if other development opportunities are folded in. "I think it's going to be magnificent. It will spur development, hotels, businesses," he says.
Restoration has already begun with a new $258,000 roof, one of the more important renovations being done first.
The town says enough money has been raised through the Belle Vue Conservancy and other grants to cover the cost of the roof already.
Anne Rota, Tourism and Culture Manager for the Town of Amherstburg, attends a public consultation meeting regarding the Belle Vue National Historic Site project at the Libro Centre on May 29, 2018. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Amherstburg's Tourism and Culture Manager Anne Rota says council still needs to decide on what else to add to the site as part of the restoration project. "I think we heard loud and clear tonight that the house itself, the grounds need to generate revenue to keep it sustainable and I think the conference centre is part of that," says Rota.
A second public consultation meeting is being held June 5, again at 6pm at the Libro Centre.