Exuberant welcome

Drake Devonshire manager Chris Loane (left) and Michael Awad, the Drake’s in-house architect.

The Drake unveils plans to large gathering in Wellington

It could hardly have been a warmer welcome for the folks from the Drake Hotel. More than 150 people jammed into the Town Hall to hear the Toronto hoteliers’ plans for the Drake Devonshire Inn in Wellington. Many more never made it across the threshold

The Drake purchased the Devonshire Inn last February and had planned to do some light renovations and reopen for the summer. That was before they understood the structure they owned.

As engineer Ernie Margetson noted for the crowd, part of the building formed an original foundry located on the property. It was later rebuilt as a home for W.P. Niles, a local industrialist and entrepreneur. Since then the home has undergone many renovations and alterations.

When the Drake folks looked at adding heating and ventilation equipment, they found the roof over a newer section on the south side of the building wasn’t strong enough to hold the equipment. Questions about the roof led to an investigation of the walls and ultimately the foundation under the newer addition. It all had to go. So, one day last summer, the southern half was removed. Slowly the new footings and foundations have begun to emerge.

On Thursday representatives from the Drake came to unveil their new plans.

Standing room only to hear the Drake’s plans for Wellington at a town hall meeting last week.

It will be a larger venue than previously imagined with an emphasis on cool. The hotel will now feature 11 rooms (up from six) as well as a 52-seat dining room with a 16’ cathedral ceiling, dramatically cantilevered over Lane Creek; and a three-season multi-purpose pavilion overlooking the lake that will seat between 40 and 50 people. Nestled between the dining room and pavilion is a deck that will accommodate up to 40 people.

Opening is estimated currently at late summer.

Bill Simpson is director of development for the Drake and has been overseeing reconstruction of the Drake Devonshire.

We offer a very special brand of hospitality,” explained Simpson of the Drake offering. “And we really love what we do.”

The overwhelming majority of the folks who had come out to hear the presentation apeared enthusiastic in their welcome to the Drake representatives. Most, but not all.

One neighbour of the project wanted to know what the Drake would do to minimize music and noise from flowing onto his neigbouring property.

Chris Loane has been assigned to manage the Drake Devonshire once it is open. He told the worried neighbour that they were coming to Wellington to become part of the community—not to disrupt it.

The Drake panel, left to right: Chris Loane, Ana Yuristy, Bill Simpson, Zoe Zhapiro and Michael Awad.

“It is an inn,” responded Loane. “There will not be any PA system or speakers on the deck. The music we hope to present will be tasteful—solo acoustic acts, perhaps jazz, perhaps some chamber music.”

Unsatisfied with the answer the neighbouring resident accused Loane of dodging the question. The crowd erupted in loud booing at the neighbour’s continued pursuit of the potential issue.

Simpson added that “we will be sensitive to the community needs. There won’t be music out on the deck. We want to work with you guys, for you guys. I understand we will have to show you that. I just ask that you give us the opportunity.”

There were also questions about parking. With seating for as many as 140 and 11 rooms, the Drake Devonshire will have just 29 parking spots.

Simpson said the project was entirely compliant with County planning rules. Several of the County’s planning folks were in the room. Simpson said they had looked at other locations in the County including Waupoos—but concluded they wanted to be in Wellington—a community they see as on the cusp of greater things.

The Drake Devonshire has launched a new website at: drakedevonshire.ca.