Two vacant and aging houses at 154 and 160 Stuart Street, which used to house the Queen’s Film and Media department, are slated to be torn down this November.

The buildings have been vacant since September 2014 when Film and Media relocated to the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. The houses do not meet current accessibility standards, have several building code compliance issues, and the cost to refurbish them is prohibitive.

A City of Kingston report to Heritage Kingston in March 2022, notes the property was one of three Queen’s properties on Stuart Street that were assessed as part of a Cultural Heritage Study in 2015. The property was found to have “limited cultural heritage value” and given its condition, was not recommended for any designation.

The near-term plan is to retain the site as green space for future re-development. The mature trees surrounding the property will be protected through the demolition and retained.

The Film and Media department originally occupied 154 Stuart St. in 1969. In 1980, 160 Stuart St. was purchased, and the department occupied both properties. In 1990 the two houses were joined together into their current configuration.