Historic Royal George Theatre’s $90M rebuild paused pending judicial review

The Shaw Festival has hit a bump in the road in its plan to demolish and rebuild an 110-year-old theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The Royal George Theatre was set to be razed this month to make way for a new $80 million facility, but that’s now on pause while a member of the community takes his concerns to the courts.

As the box office sign came down Wednesday, it’s the end of an era for the theatre.

With the final shows of the Shaw Festival season taking place in December, the Royal George Theatre is now closed to the public.

The handles on the front of the building are gone and the front door is locked.

The Shaw Festival is planning to demolish and rebuild the 110-year-old stage, citing a small floor plan, crumbling infrastructure and a lack of accessibility.

Some local residents say they are sad to see the building go, but it was in great need to improve accessibility and something that will last.

Co-owner of family business Irish Design, Shauna Dickson, says their shop and ones surrounding the theatre are planning to remain open during demolition and construction.

“We’re all very excited that they’re doing this,” said Dickson. “We actually bought this property, knocked it down and rebuilt 20 years ago, and a major reason was because it’s right next to the Shaw. We see them as a huge asset to the town.”

WATCH MORE: Final curtain falls on Royal George Theatre as $90M rebuild set to begin

Though it’s not clear when — or if — that’s going to begin.

The festival has been granted approval for the $80 million project from the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, but now they’re facing a legal hurdle from a member of the community looking to protect the heritage of the building.

In a written statement to CHCH News, the president of Centurion Building Corporation Nicholas Colaneri wrote, “what I’m asking for is that the law is followed before an irreversible decision is carried out. When a building that is part of the historic fabric of Niagara-on-the-Lake is at risk of being permanently removed, the community deserves confidence that the proper legal process has been followed and that all heritage considerations were fully examined.”

A judicial review of the approval has been postponed, and is now set for the end of the month.

The review will look at whether the town complied with its own zoning bylaws, and Ontario’s Planning and Heritage Acts when it gave Shaw the green light.

Demolition had been planned for late March or early April.

In a statement, the Shaw Festival says, “We, together with the Town, believe this review will find all matters were properly conducted by both the Town and The Shaw and look forward to this being resolved quickly.”

READ MORE: Ontario to spend $35M to help rebuild Shaw Festival’s Royal George Theatre