Local architect Robert Ritz has unveiled a proposal to redevelop Stratford’s Grand Trunk Railway site, also known as the Cooper Site. Ritz presented his ideas to a packed room of residents Tuesday night at the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans banquet hall. “The building is the solution, not the problem, because the site’s contaminated. We have a structural analysis that the building is good, and we can use it,” Ritz said. Built in 1870, the building once housed repairs for steam locomotives and served as a major employer and cultural hub in the community. “It was the railway shops that provided the impetus for a lot of things,” Stratford resident Dean Robinson said. When rail technologies changed, the 160,000-square-foot repair superstructure was left behind. Stratford eventually expropriated the land, using portions for the university campus and YMCA. But the former railway structure remained largely unused for decades. In 2023, the city concluded a lengthy legal battle with the former owner and established an ad-hoc committee to develop a plan for the property. In July, council voted to retain the middle third of the remaining building as an open-air space. Ritz, however, believes the entire structure can be restored and repurposed for the community. “The building I’m proposing is a community building — library, daycare, YMCA, possible theatre for community arts, symphony theatre, something outside of the festival realm,” he said. “A seniors complex maybe coming back. Maybe there’ll be room for a medical clinic. So it’s really a place for Stratford to live, grow, be taken care of and be entertained.” Ritz said the ground level could accommodate parking, which he believes would help offset renovation costs and allow amenities such as the library or a theatre to relocate to the site. His proposal also includes a new swimming pool with 52 apartments above it, along with solar panels across the roof. “We broke the building down in phases. Sure, it might be whatever — $100 million plus — when it’s done. The Tom Patterson Theatre was $100 million. I can’t see this being below $100 million,” Ritz said. Ritz added that the last locomotive refurbished in the building is currently in Fort Erie, and there is a proposal to return it to Stratford and display it. “They’re willing to let us have it if we put it indoors. And the first phase of this project is to bring it in,” he said. Ritz acknowledged his team has not fully calculated the costs but said he believes restoring the entire structure is a better option than preserving only a third of it. He expects to have financial details in the new year, when he plans to present the full proposal to council. “They can decide what they want to do with it. I don’t see this exactly happening — it never does at this stage in design — but the concepts are strong,” he said. Ritz is not being paid for the work, but he and his team have been developing the proposal since August. He is also scheduled to meet with a structural engineer and the city’s CAO this week. “I think nobody is going to be interested in doing anything with it if you don’t have a plan. So he’s got that,” Robinson said. “People didn’t give Tom Patterson a lot of help when he was starting the Festival. Maybe they thought it was a bit loonie-toonie, but this is an idea that could work. I think it really could work.” “Oh heavens, you’d never build a building like that,” said Matt Crowley, who lives near Stratford. “It’s a godsend. You couldn’t replace it. You couldn’t build it today. We’ve got it — let’s not lose it.” “It’s a present for the City of Stratford. Christmas is coming and we’re a month ahead of it,” Ritz said. “So why not? Let’s see what we can do.”
