City of Fredericton acquires historic Lemont House by river
CBC
The city of Fredericton has taken over ownership of a historic downtown building that has sat empty and boarded up for years.
The city acquired the two-and-a-half storey Lamont House on Monday after a settlement of a civil lawsuit against the city filed by Aquilini Properties LP, owner of Lamont House and the nearby Hilton Garden Inn. Aquilini filed in the lawsuit against in the city in 2019 around performance bond issues, said councillor Jason LeJeune, and the building acquisition marks the end of that suit.
In a news release, the city said it can't disclose the details of the settlement. which are "sealed as per agreement between the parties."
LeJeune said the city has wanted to own the building for years, and considers it a heritage preservation project.
He said staff is working on designating the building at 605 Queen Street as a heritage property, which would protect its historic look. He said it's not clear what the eventual outcome would be for the building, whether the city would sell it or keep it in the public domain.
"I don't want to prescribe any outcomes," LeJeune said. "We'd want to do something in keeping of the municipal plan ... That honours the heritage of the Lemont building."
The building on lower Regent Street in the city's downtown has been empty for years, prompting heritage advocates like John Leroux to speak out.
On Tuesday, Leroux said the news of the city's acquisition of the building is "fantastic."
"It is an absolute key part of Officers' Square that people don't think about," he said. "It's just a real precious part of the downtown."
The Second-Empire-style building was constructed in the 1880s. William Lemont, the son of variety store merchant Martin Lemont, was one of the earliest known residents, beginning in 1887. William Lemont's son lived there until the 1940s.
Leroux said it was also a riverfront warehouse for the Lemont company, which imported furniture.
Before being boarded up, Aquilini Properties used it for long-term residents of its other hotel, the Crown Plaza.
The exterior of the building has been deteriorating, with a hole in the roof and a few in the eaves.
However, the inside is still in "good shape," according to Leroux.
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