Brody Langager
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Two historic buildings on the University of Saskatchewan grounds will be demolished after failed attempts to find alternate uses for them.
Community feedback had paused the demolition of the buildings at 113 and 114 Seminary Crescent back in December 2024, but the University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors said none of the five job bids to restore the 114 Seminary Crescent building were financially viable, adding that a consulting firm estimated $55 to $60 million would be required to restore it.
The board added that the fire department’s order for the 113 Seminary Crescent building required it to be repaired and operational by May, and that demolition was the only practical and financially-viable option.
U of S said the 113 Seminary Crescent building would have required significant investment, noting issues around flooding and an electrical transformer failure.
The Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) has owned the 114 Seminary building since 1967, but it hasn’t been used in the past five years.
More than 160 security calls were made to the LTS building in 2024, the U of S said, adding there were fires, broken windows, drug paraphernalia and evidence of people sleeping in the building.
“While the board appreciates the historical significance of the Lutheran Theological Seminary building, this does not outweigh the very real and immediate risk to public safety posed by these vacant and deteriorating buildings, nor does it supersede the board’s fiduciary responsibility,” the board said in a statement.
The LTS buildings were the work of Saskatoon architect John Holliday-Scott, and the U of S said while the building was considered an affiliated asset in the university’s heritage register, it didn’t have heritage status that was recognized federally, provincially or municipally.
The university said it will consider ways to commemorate the 60-year old buildings.
It added that the space is best suited for a recreational or open space for the university community, and that the area is part of a proposed national urban park.
Building demolitions are set to proceed within the next few months.
