Restoring the Union Club

 
The Union Club, home to Harbourside Rotary, has been an institution in Victoria for over 100 years. Lorne DeLarge, immediate past president of the Union Club, outlined the extensive restoration project to be completed in April 2016. This $2.6 million project restores the building to a condition as close to the original as possible, making it sound for the next 100 years.
 
RESTORING THE UNION CLUB
 
Peter Baillie introduced our speaker, Lorne DeLarge. Lorne has been active for years as a volunteer in the community and is the immediate Past President of the Union Club. At present he works for the Real Property Division of the BC Government.
 
The Union Club has been an institution in Victoria for over 100 years. Formed in 1879, by 1910 its members had outgrown their meeting place and decided to build a new club, purchasing the land on which the current building stands. A building committee, chaired by Francis Rattenbury, hired an architect from San Francisco, Loring P. Rixford.  Rixford was the City architect for San Francisco and brought with him the lessons learned from the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906 in San Francisco.
 
Fast forward to 2012, and it was apparent to the members of the Union Club that their grand old building was in need of repair. A hundred years of soot and dirt darkened the exterior. Terra cotta tiles and trim on the roof and balustrades had cracked and, in some cases, fallen off. Water seeping into the walls had crumbled the concrete and corroded the metal.  Some repairs had been made with fiberglass and cement, which had also deteriorated.
 
The members, board and management of the Union Club embarked on an ambitious plan to restore the exterior. Extensive investigation and planning was done so that the scope of the project, schedule and budget were determined beforehand. A Building Remediation Committee, made up of the president, two past presidents and the VP, oversaw the project and continues to meet every two weeks to steer the process.
 
Establishing principles for restoration was an important first step, so that all decisions could be made quickly and consistently. The club made a commitment to restore the building to original condition, making it sound for the next 100 years. Key principles were:
  • Return to original or better.
  • Repair in place where possible, or if not
  • Remove and repair
  • If necessary, replace like for like.
 
In researching the original building, the committee were surprised to find references to the Union Club in the Sacramento Public Library and eventually secured copies of the original plans from the terra cotta manufacturer, Gladding, McBean.  One surprise from the plans was that the architect had intended a row of rosettes on the soffit, where the original builders had left only holes. The project has had rosettes manufactured and are now installed as the architect originally intended. 
 
Restoring the integrity of the tiles, balustrades and decorative features also required finding a firm that could  build and fire terra cotta. Today there are only two in North America who can do the type of work required – one near Chicago and one in California (Gladding, McBean). The contract went to Boston Valley Terra Cotta.
 
Timelines - the project started in July of 2014, with cleaning of the building’s exterior. It will be completed by April 2016, on time and on budget for the original scope of work, (which led to several comments from our members about other civic projects this committee might tackle).
 
Key components of the project included:
  • Cleaning
  • Replacing cracked tiles in the roof, which meant taking them off then replacing them
  • Earthquake proofing the terra cotta
  • Paint removal
  • Installing rosettes
  • A new electrical panel
  • Repairing the president’s library, which had water damage
  • Replaced rotten window casings
  • Removed an old oil tank (complete with oil)
  • Repaving the parking lot
  • Improving drainage
 
A project of this size of course requires significant funding - $2.6 million. The Union Club financed this through retained earnings and a Building Preservation Fund that had built up over the years, as well as dedicated fund raising for this project. Approval for the expenditure required two thirds of members to approve, which was unanimously granted, and members have made a commitment to pay off all costs within 10 years or less.
 
Our members of course had several questions for Lorne:
  • Are there any plans for the rather tired and sad interior? A: renos are underway inside also, as hotel rooms have been upgraded, the kitchen improved, and there are plans to upgrade the other public rooms over the next 1-5 years.
  • Did the exchange rate affect the terra cotta purchase? A: no, fortunately the bill in full was paid before the exchange rate deteriorated
  • Was concrete 100 years ago as good as today? A: No, the quality and methods of concrete production are not as good as today. Still, it’s a solid structure.
  • And – is there any truth to the rumour of a tunnel from the Union Club to the Empress? A: not that Lorne knows.
  • What were the surprises? A: Primarily the President’s Library. The work on this part of the building was added to the scope and budget of the project.  
  • Has the kitchen been updated? A: yes, investments have been made over the past 5 years to update the kitchen – even added a smoker. The General Manager is a former executive chef for a leading hotel chain so he is very experienced in managing a kitchen.
  • Did the project receive any money from the Victoria Heritage Trust Funds? A: the committee didn’t apply, but the building has been designated as a heritage site and the city is very happy with the renovations.
Richard Burke thanked Lorne for his interesting talk.