Downtown Dundas Cornish-style pub to be proposed for former Masonic lodge
A founder of Dundurn Market, Democracy restaurant and Coffeecology coffee roasters bought the 147-year-old Dundas Masonic Lodge building at 3 Main St. for $1.65 million, with plans to open a Cornish-style" pub.
Roger Abbiss of Big Coffee Inc. - which closed the purchase of the 4,976-square-foot downtown Dundas building on Aug. 22, is co-founder of Mrktbox Inc. which operates Dundurn Market, Ottawa Market and Strathcona Market.
My wife and I walked the coast in Cornwall several years ago, trekking along rocky paths with crazy beautiful vistas from one small town to another," Abbiss stated in an email, a day after the sale was registered on title. After a four to six hour walk, we'd end up at a small town that had at least one remarkable very old, very cool pub full of charm, and great food and drink."
He said Dundas is becoming a destination for great bars and restaurants, and he hopes to make a positive addition to this ongoing development.
We feel that the more places there are to go, more people will consider Dundas a destination and the better it is for restaurants, bars and pubs and ultimately all Dundas businesses," Abbiss said. Our focus will be on comfortable surroundings, great food, local beers and locally grown, small scale produce and meat products."
He said the vision will require applications to the City of Hamilton for a change of use and building permit. Abbiss said there is no schedule yet for those applications.
City-willing, we will be open next September. We are looking for incredible people to join the team," Abbiss said.
City spokesperson Michelle Shantz confirmed development planning had not received any applications for 3 Main St. as of Tuesday, Aug. 23.
In addition to the markets, coffee roastery and Democracy, Abbiss is a partner in local cafes My Dog Joe in Westdale and Mulberry on James Street North.
After learning 3 Main St. had been listed for sale, the City of Hamilton municipal heritage committee, at its June 10 meeting, added the building to its watchlist of properties undergoing change in ownership or use, but not perceived as immediately threatened.
It is not a designated heritage building, but is included in the city's buildings of interest inventory.
The building is connected to lawyer Britton B. Osler, brother of Sir William Osler, and the Desjardins Canal offices, in addition to local Masons - who have had their meeting space there for 146 years.
Osler apparently included purpose-built space for the Masons to meet. By 1881, they occupied the entire second floor. The lodge eventually purchased the building in 1943.