Kingston Penitentiary: Housing or Heritage?

0:00It's April 22nd, from your city to your ears. This is Calvary News today, powered by AI. The federal government just added Kingston Penitentiary to its list of spots, right for housing, picturing up to 700 units on the old prison, grounds in Kingston, Ontario. This historic site, once home to Canada's toughest criminals, could see high rises overlooking Lake Ontario if plans move forward. In back in 1835 and shut down in 2013, the Pen House infamous inmates like Paul Bernardo and survived riots and fires. It's a national historic site now, drawing tourists and film crews for its dark legacy as the blueprint for Canadian prisons. Locals and leaders are fired up against it. MP Mark Garrison calls it ill-advised, saying it'd trash the heritage and tourism that pulls in hundreds of thousands of visitors yearly. These worry about bad vibes and prefer parks over condos. Developers are circling, one from Montreal eyeing affordable units, another pushing apartments

1:01with shops below. But snags abound, contamination, zoning fights, and the city slapping on heritage protections. It's off the landbank map for now while they scout a lease. Where from officials is it'll pop back up soon as part of the housing push, but with pushback from all sides, this sleeping giant might stay locked. Down, balancing crisis needs against the peace of Canada's gritty past.