Scheduling and implementation will be conclude the study.
1. Existing Facility Assessment
A. Physical Assessment
For its 90 years of age, the existing original Knox Church building is in very good condition. Although it is not the scope of this study to make a detailed assessment, a visual examination of the majority of primary spaces has shown the facility to be well-maintained and structurally sound.
Upgrades that have been undertaken in recent years include the installation of a barrier-free exterior ramp at the shared entry of Knox and the International Centre and the removal of pews and installation of a stage in the sanctuary to facilitate concerts. The stage work included modifications to the pulpit to facilitate its removal for concert settings. Other recent upgrades include a new air handler and boiler retrofitting for energy efficiency in 2002, window repairs and retrofitting in 1995, and roof and flashing repairs in '83, '90 and '96.
Future upgrades that are being considered include carpet replacement in the sanctuary (±$15,000), roof flashing and vent patching to prevent water penetration at the towers and elsewhere, and an intervention to minimize the potential for property damage and personal injury related to the 'avalanching' condition from the main roof at the lane.
B. Historical Assessment
The history of Knox congregation dates to the earliest days of Winnipeg's history. In 1862 Presbyterian services began to be held in the Court House just west of Upper Fort Garry. Six years later the Hudson Bay Company provided a site for Presbyterian church at the corner of Portage Avenue and Fort Street. In 1879 a second Knox Church was opened on the same site and in 1884 a third at the corner of Donald and Ellice. Dr. Frederick DuVal became the minister shortly thereafter, providing strong visionary leadership which emphasized the need for a strong Christian ministry in the downtown area, a vision which had a lasting impact on the congregation.
Construction of today's Knox Church commenced in 1914 under the wing of the late Rev. Dr. DuVal. World War 1 and a temporary collapse in the money market put a hold on progress for over a year as the structure lay idle. Determination prevailing, construction resumed in 1916 and was completed in 1917, providing a seating capacity of over 1400, a gym, numerous lounges, kitchens, classrooms and other facilities suitable for a diversified ministry.
During World War II Knox courageously developed a Japanese ministry, responding to the needs of mainly evacuees who had lost their homes. The congregation continues to share space at Knox and there is no doubt it has helped to develop a sensitivity to cultural issues and paved the way for Knox's support for the development of the adjoining International Centre, which opened in 1986. Partnering with the Citizen Council of Manitoba in its conception, the facility houses the International Centre (a multi-cultural centre hosting the activities of many ethno-cultural groups and offering a reception house, settlement assistance, employment assistance, language services, and educational assistance to immigrants) and Knox Daycare. In more recent years, Knox has developed a clear mission focus to seniors living in the downtown area, providing them with transportation and programs
C. Zoning and Urban Design Summary
The property is zoned 'D' or Downtown Living Sector in the Downtown Winniipeg Zoning ByLaw. The existing church and proposed cafe are both permitted uses and would not require special approvals from the City's Planning, Property and Development Department. A special 'in-house' approval process is required for encroachments but it does not require community involvement. Preliminary discussions with the Department have indicated that they would support an application for encroachment.
The downtown location also requires design approval by the Urban Design Advisory Committee. Although the committee's functions are still being performed by an acting committee, a meeting was held and support in principle was obtained. If the project were to proceed discussions would be required by the newly radified permanent committee.
Applications for re-zoning, variances or conditional use will not be required. In the event that the application for encroachment or for the downtown design review will benefit by it, neighbourhood groups and downtown associations having an interest will be approached for letters of support. These will include the Central Park Residents Association, the North Portage Development Corporation and CentreVenture. Preliminary discussions have indicated that all these groups are in favour of the development.
D. Heritage Designation
Knox United Church received 'Historic Site' designation by the Province of Manitoba in 1993. With the honour comes the responsibility to protect the structure and site by implementing sound heritage conservation and preservation practice. The Province has recently adopted Parks Canada's Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canda as their operating policy document. The thrust of the guidelines is to minimize the intervention of historically significant places, favouring preservation over repairing, repairing over replacing, and replacing over altering.
"The construction of an exterior addition in a historic place may seem to be essential for ... new use, but it is emplhasized in the Guidelines that such new additions should be avoided, if possible, and considered only after it is determined that those needs cannot be met by altering secondary, ie non-charactor-defining interior spaces. If, after a thorough evaluation of interior solutions, an exterior addition is still judged to be the only viable alternative, it should be designed and created so that the heritage value of the historic place is not radically changed and to ensure that its charactor-defining elements are not obscured, damaged, or destroyed. The addition should be physically and visually compatible with, subordinate to and distinguishable from the historic place, so that a false historic appearance is not created.”
Preliminary discussions were held between Knox CED and Manitoba Culture and Heritage to assess the viability and appropriateness of a number of sites for a cafe. Although their preference was for the development to be sited adjacent to International Centre or in the Central Park, the Province was willing to discuss the options of converting the east basement or a free-standing structure in the east yard if the former alternatives were not viable. A site selection matrix assessment has been included further in the report [this does not appear in the online version, due to technical problems.]
2. Needs Assessment
A. Project Objectives and Intentions
Project objectives and iintentions for the Knox Cafe initiative can be itemized as follows, in order of priority:
1.To further invest in community-based enterprise to ensure the future viability and continued sustainability of the community economic development society, the faith communities housed in Knox Interfaith Centre, and the existing church facility. The endeavor should be profitable, meaningful, and contribute to the well-being of the existing facility and the neighborhood;
2a.To provide the church building with a greater degree of public accessibility through creation of a welcoming community space, increasing the perception of ‘openness’ to the broader community;
2b.To provide a facility in which the neighborhood’s cultural diversity can be celebrated and developed, through menu and live performance/music reflective of that diversity;
2c.To enhance the community economic development activity of the existing hospitality and retail job training, expanding this program to include barista/service training, restaurant management, financial administration and entrepreneurial incubation;
3.To provide a gathering place for the neighborhood, attracting university/college students, young professionals, social-justice advocates, the arts community, etc.
4.To provide an impetus for the revitalization and redevelopment of Central Park itself, through conversation and informal or formal partnerships with both the City of Winnipeg and the Central Park Residents Council.
It is prerequisite that implementation of the project objectives should not significantly adversely affect the existing facilities or programming but rather, in general, compliment and reinforce them. The project should not be seen as being in conflict with current urban design, heritage conservation, and other community revitalization initiatives. As demonstrated in the past, the initiative should be a model for successful and effective partnering.
B. Functional Analysis
Knox Cafe will be a limited menu bistro and coffee shop catering to a neighborhood market of young professionals, university students, college students, local residents, the downtown arts community, the 'fair trade' market, and employees and patrons of Portage Place and downtown businesses. The intention is to serve light meals and refreshments that celebrate the cultural diversity of the area. Hours of operation are expected to be 8am to 8pm Monday to Wednesday, 8am to 11pm Thursday to Saturday, and 8am to 8pm Sundays including cafe-style worship on Sundays. In addition to its traditional operation as a cafe, Knox Cafe will function as an 'on-location' training ground for the existing Knox job training program as well as for the anticipated Knox entrepreneurial incubation program.
The major component of the cafe is of course the seating area. The optimal seating capacity has been set at 50. Over 50 seats would double the washroom requirements and has therefore been deemed to be unfeasible. The objective is for a mixture of 2 and 4-person tables and a number of lounge or armchairs in groups of 4 to 6. The dining area should take advantage of views to the park and maximize visibility from and to the street and sidewalk. It shall accomodate live entertainment to a maximum of 4 musicians with a low and removable stage for intimate performances of culturally diverse music. It should be inviting, potentially casual and formal, and culturally engaging.
The kitchen has not been considered in depth for the purposes of the study other than it should have a strong visual connection to the dining area and should be capable of facilitating a large range of culturally diverse menus. The scale of the kitchen has been based on the conventional ratio of kitchen to seating area, approximately 1:2. Budget figures were established using average costs for a 50 seat cafe.
Furniture storage is required to provide the flexibility of seating arrangements to facilitate a variety of functions. In addition to the furniture requirements for bistro-like daily use and for the viewing of live music.
Two washrooms are required by Code, 1 male and 1 female [one uni-sex washroom is required to be barrier-free].
A seasonal patio area is sought if space can be accomodated. Seating capacity is contigent on space available but should not exceed 1/3 of the interior capacity or approximately 16.Other general requirements are that the facility be barrier-free and provide a strong visual connection to the church.
A physical connection is required for ease of travel from the job training instruction area and provide a weather-protected route to the existing loading area for deliveries & garbage disposal.
Air-lock entry vestibule(s) will be required for energy efficiency and provide an acceptable degree of comfort for the patron seating area in our cold winters.
C. Floor Area Requirements
(all floor areas are calculated in square feet.)
entry/vestibule x 2 80
foyer/cashier x 2 80
table seating for 38, code min. 410
lounge seating for 12, code min. 240
kitchen including food storage 325
washrooms (barrier-free unisex) 75
stage, removable n/a
furniture & stage storage 100
mechanical space, HWT, HVAC 100
electrical room 40
link and stairs 80
sub-total 1530
circulation and walls, 50% 765
gross total (sq.ft.) 2295 
3. Site Selection Analysis
.1 Siting Alternatives & Recommendations
4 potential sites for the cafe were identified and assessed. The sites were chosen based on available space with the potential for functional and community integration effectiveness. They were perceived as having the potential for development with minimal intervention of the existing facility and programs. In terms of scale and accessibility, it was assumed that a one storey facility would be preferred.
Site 1 is the existing east yard of the existing church, at grade. This option provides a very strong connection to the sidewalk and street and the existing church. Highly visible, it also has the potential for very good view to the park. It is questionable in terms of historic site intervention and limited in terms of developable area. It relies heavily on approvals from authorities having jurisdiction.
Site 2 is the existing raised patio of the existing International Centre. This option provides a difficult connection to the sidewalk and street but avoids the issue of historic site intervention. It has good visibility and the potential for excellent views to the park. It is limited in terms of developable area, questionable in terms of its connection to the existing church and has a major impact on the existing daycare facility and program.
Site 3 is the existing basement under the east side of the sanctuary. This option provides the weakest connection to the sidewalk and street and the best connection to the existing church. It is the least visible and has minimal potential for a view to the park. It is good but challenging in terms of historic site intervention and is limited in terms of developable area.
Site 4 is on the west edge of the public park. This option provides a very strong connection to the sidewalk and street and excellent views to the park. Its highly visible and might generous in terms of developable area. It avoids the issue of historic site intervention but has no potential for connection to the church, either physically or visually. It relies heavily on the will and authority of the City to sell or lease the property.
The following 2 pages are a site selection location plan and a site selection matrix. It was determined by the quantitative analysis of the 'matrix' that site 1, the existing east yard of the existing church, is most desirable. The design proposal will take advantage of its positive attributes and counter its deficiencies. From the onset, this site was recognized as being very challenging.
C. site assessment matrix
• this cannot be easily reproduced on this website/blog - attain hard copy from church office
matrix shows that the top locaiton is the one presented here, alongside the building.
the park was second.
4. Proposed Design
The design of Knox Cafe is moderately upscale, engaging, elegant, welcoming, and true.
Permeability
Key to the design of Knox Cafe is its permeability, physically and perceptually. The envelope is made virtually transparent by a mullionless window design and a cantilevering structure. This transparency allows the exterior design of the context to become the interior design of the cafe, the existing walls of the church, the sidewalk and street, and the park. From the exterior, the transparency combined with the floor level being at grade provides an almost unencumbered relationship with the public realm. Two public entries enhance the physical connectiveness. Together with the original church, a renewed image of public accessibility will emerge.
Integration
Knox Cafe will be a physical expression of the partnering and integration of Knox and its neighborhood. The encroachment on public lands will demonstrate its value to the community and its visual connectiveness will blur the definition of public and semi-private realms. At times, through the careful placement of doors and ordering of space, the perception of traditional sidewalk will be uninterrupted.
Distinctiveness
Knox Cafe will maintain a subtle distance from the historic building. Though linked, both by siting and physical connection, the new structure stands almost as landscape element and in doing so, minimizes the intervention of the protected edifice.
Subtlety
From a distance, the scale of Knox Cafe will be insignificant as it relates to the existing church. One quarter of the height of the original building’s east wall, the ceiling and roof heights have been made intentionally low to maximize the views to the original building. Large detailless glazing takes on a quality of scalelessness, its simplicity subordinating the new cafe to the richness of the original gothic stonework.
Continuity of Materials
Not unlike the mother structure, Knox Cafe will be a dialogue between mass and void, stone and glass, but unlike the original construction, it is the glass that prevails, providing visual accessibility and an extraordinary sense of openness. The proposed reinforced concrete structure too, while in the original building invisibly providing for the impressive clear spans of the sanctuary's balcony and the soaring of exterior towers, in the cafe becomes an eloquent expression for roof and glazing support.
Sustainability
Knox Cafe will be energy efficient by way of geothermal heat-cool systems, taking advantage of the earth to moderate temperature. The majority of materials will be low-toxicity, salvage, local and/or natural.
C. Building Code Summary
A preliminary Building Code review was undertaken based on the 1998 Manitoba Building Code in anticipation of a formal analysis submission for the review by the authorities having jurisdiction to ensure conformance related to the requirements for life safety and barrier-free considerations. The authority having jurisdiction for the project is the Planning, Property, And Development Department of The City of Winnipeg.
The total scope of the project involves the construction of a 'free-standing' structure, with link, and the conversion of storage space in the basement of the existing building. The conversion in the basement involves the addition of new non-loadbearing partitions to define cafe storage and mechanical space for the new building. Other than the conversion of this approximately 1800 s.f. and the tie-ins to accomodate a 'link', no alterations or upgrades to the existsing building are expected. The new functions in the original building does not affect the primary use and will not increase the existing occupant design loads. Existing non-conforming elements and conditions shall be grandfathered.
The new building will be classified under 3.2.2.28, Group A, Division 2 (assembly), One Storey. This designation permits combustible or non-combustible construction, and does not require the installation of a sprinkler system. The existing church, having a buiding area of +/-17,000 s.f., will be classified under 3.2.2.26, Group A, Division 2 (assembly), Up to 2 Storeys, Increased Area, Sprinklered. Non-conformance related to sprinklers, fire separations, and fire resistance ratings shall be grandfathered.
For the new building, equivalencies will be sought to waive the requirements for limiting distances (the distance between buildings used to determine the maximum percentage of unprotected openings, ie windows) by the voluntary installation of a sprinkler system in the new building and possibly the converted portion of the existing basement. Limiting the new building to non-combustible construction only may also be required. These measures would be required to allow windows on the west wall of the new building while retaining the existing windows on the east elevation of the sanctuary. Existing windows at the basement level adjacent to the new building would be infilled.
D. Cost Projections
The following Class D estimate has been prepared from the schematic drawings and functional program descriptions. Construction cost estimates are based on current market values for competitively tendered lump sum contracts. Furnishings and equipment have been prepared on the basis of individual sub-contracts administered by the consultant. The costing estimates try to include all direct and indirect costs associated with the project. Specifically excluded are the following:
-financing charges
-hospitality fittings and accessories
-general upgrades to the existing building
Major components of the project are identified and unit rates are provided for quick comparisons with 'known' values in the industry.
Projected Project Costs
Class D Estimate
scope of work unit unit cost totals notes
new structure including link 1,800 210 $378,000 waec $190/sf
& modifications to existing basement
glazing premium $60,000
landscape 2,000 20 $40,000
street work $30,000
kitchen equipment incl'g exhaust system $100,000 $80,000 to $120,000
furniture inc. spares/alternates 100 300 $30,000
stage, equipment, sound & AV $40,000
sub-total $678,000
soft costs
survey $2,000
insurance, legal, etc $13,560
fees 12%. $83,227
costing contingency 10%. $77,678
construction contingency 5%. $33,900
total $888,365 plus GST
5. Implementation
A. Construction Scheduling
The overall schedule for the project requires approximately 10 months from the date that authorization to proceed has been given. This time frame can be reduced, at some risk, if the zoning, city and provincial approvals were sought prior to all funding being secured.
An approximation of the schedule is as follows:
1 month to finalize the design,
1 month for approvals for external authorities having jurisdiction
3 months to prepare construction documents &
5 months for bidding and construction.
It is preferrable that construction commence during the months of May through October in order to minimize or eliminate the expense of hoarding and heating for concrete work.
Phasing was considered but the scale and nature of the project does not provide oportunity.
