Potters Guild site renews hopes

LOndon Free Press Wed, May 21, 2008

By PATRICK MALONEY

Every promise of potential is haunted by decades of neglect, but the hoped-for renaissance of Old East Village as an arts and culture stronghold may truly be underway. The promising arrival of the London Potters Guild is being heralded as possibly the best signal yet that the troubled Dundas Street corridor just east of Adelaide Street could be reborn as a haven for artists and niche shopping. "We're not trying to replicate the mall here," said Sarah Merritt of the Old East Village improvement association. "What we're trying to collect down here is a completely unique experience. "The potters guild wanted to come into the Old East. (That) reinforces to us that the commercial corridor is re-emerging as a cultural district of London." At first blush, though, it may not look that way -- the two sides of Dundas are rows of largely empty store fronts and dilapidated buildings. But thanks to the pottery group, there will be one fewer eyesore and much more optimism. With about $80,000 of its own savings, the guild bought the run-down building at 664 Dundas St. -- near Lyle Street -- about six weeks ago. They will use $200,000 in city funding to pay for drastic renovations. It was that municipal grant, which will be paid out over four years, that made the potters the object of criticism during budget season, with some councillors and competing groups calling it a foolish priority. The guild ultimately sold council on its plan to be part of a cultural renaissance in the village. The grant survived a tough budget process and Merritt is calling its arrival a key sign of progress. The guild expects to be in the building by spring 2009. When they do move in, the potters will join a growing cluster of other culture-based businesses, including Aeolian Hall and the Palace Theatre, and will benefit from unique incentives being offered by the city. Council has made Old East an incentive zone, wherein the city will help property owners pay for renovations to empty buildings if they are rented to certain types of tenants, such as cafes or antique galleries. If Old East boosters are excited about the guild's arrival, the group's 100 members are just as thrilled to have secured a high-profile location. "We're treating the building like a shell. A beautiful shell," said Darlene Pratt, a guild member since 1992. "The place has been in disrepair -- the hydro has not been on in four years. "(Our move) fills an empty space, but it also breathes life into it. It's incredibly exciting for us to be on the cusp of the rejuvenation of Old East Village." The potters guild was started during the early 1980s. Founding members included Mary Haggis, whose son Paul would later achieve international acclaim as a film director. It was a Haggis-owned bingo hall that first housed the group, but since 1991 the guild has rented from the city a space on Churchill Avenue, east of Highbury Avenue. In their new home, they will rent space to art school graduates, letting them use the costly equipment in exchange for help running the place. The proximity to Beal secondary school's renowned art program is also promising, Pratt said. She's certain city funding for the guild will pay long-term dividends for London. "It's a difficult proposition in that (we're) not a child-based or health-care-based charity," she said. "It has a niche market, but it's an important market." Or, as Merritt put it: "It's not just about an arts group. It's a revitalization plan."

HOW IT WILL LOOK

The London Potters Guild is made up of 100 artists -- so their new building is bound to look cool. The street front at 664 Dundas St. will be renovated to look as it did during the 1880s, says the group, which is working off period photos to perfect the design. "We're artists so we're interested in esthetics," said Darlene Pratt, a longtime guild member. "It's unique, so it's interesting."