At the core of Kingston’s historic downtown is the Market Square Heritage Conservation District – an area defined by a fine collection of 19th and 20th buildings encircling the city’s Market Square. The District, originally written by Lily Inglis and Harold Kalman, is one of the earliest commercial heritage conservation districts in Ontario. The District Plan serves to protect the heritage character of this active public space and cultural tourism destination.

ERA was retained by the City of Kingston to review and update the existing Market Square Heritage Conservation District Plan to align with current heritage and planning policy and allow for the ongoing preservation of this unique place.

The District Plan Update included a Statement of Cultural Heritage Value for the District as a whole and a description of the heritage value and attributes of each building in the District. New design guidelines were developed that built upon the Lily Inglis and Harold Kalman Study, and also addressed current issues in the District.

The updated by-law for this District was passed by Council and has passed its appeal date. To view the document, please see the pdf online at City of Kingston.