By Julie Suzanne Pollock
Mansfield’s heritage hotel took another step on the long journey to restoration, moving aside for improvements to the busy Airport Road intersection – but coming no closer to her final resting place.
The former Stanton Hotel was lifted from its roadside perch to higher ground at the back of the property because it obstructed the northwest corner of Airport Road at 5th Sideroad in Mulmur.
Construction work has begun to open up traffic sightlines on the busy corner.
This is a temporary respite for the hotel until funds can be raised for its considerable refurbishment needs.
Dufferin County Council has agreed to host the historical building on the Dufferin County Museum property and share project costs with the Community Association to Save the Stanton Hotel (CASSH).
However, Dickinson & Hicks Architects Inc., consultants to the County, have estimated the cost of restoring and moving of the hotel to a permanent site on the Museum property to be $408,000 to $412,500.
Fundraising efforts by CASSH have fallen short of this lofty sum and a 2013 application for a provincial Trillium grant was unsuccessful.
For the time being, the hotel appears unperturbed by the disturbance. After 151 years on the same site, the new view may suit her very well.