Newsletter Article -- January 2002

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President's Report

by Carolyn Quinn

Heritage Ottawa has been hard at work pursuing our mandate to preserve heritage buildings and historic landscapes in our new city.

Bringing You Up-to-Date

The Nicholas/Waller/Laurier Triangle:

After months of consultation, site plan reconfigurations and a last minute attempt by the developer to renege on site plan approvals, the development of a 12-storey apartment building on the siteof the Nicholas/Waller/Laurier Triangle, that will include the restoration of three of its four deteriorated historic buildings, is now underway.

Heritage Ottawa worked closely with Rod Lahey of Roderick Lahey, Architect, Action Sandy Hill (ASH) and the city's planning department for over a year on the redevelopment plans. The final version of the site plan that would see the relocation of three historic houses along the Waller Street side of the triangle was approved by City Council over the summer. The deteriorated condition of the buildings, resulting from years of neglect by the NCC, was accounted for in the city's many concessions and fee exemptions to the developer, Groupe Lapine of Montreal, with the understanding that they would be properly rehabilitated.

Groupe Lapine sudden reversal in late August -- proposing the restoration of only one of the four historic houses instead of three and a community compensation payment of $200,000 to Action Sandy Hill -- was quickly dropped when it became evident that significant permit delays at the city level and a potential public relations fiasco would result. Heritage Ottawa had not been a party to this new proposition, and once made aware of it, denounced it publicly.

With development now underway, Heritage Ottawa has requested that the city make every effort to ensure that the buildings be stabilized and architectural detailing be protected both during and after relocation. Our organization will remain vigilant in this regard.

The Stephen Collins House:

One of the oldest houses in the city, the Stephen Collins house, remains boarded up on its site overlooking the Rideau River on Prince of Wales Drive. After much determined work by Heritage Ottawa, the South Nepean Development Corporation (SNDC), and Minto have been quietly contemplating proposals made by the City of Ottawa this past summer that could lead to the restoration of this fine example of early 19th century stone construction that remains an integral part of the cultural landscape adjacent to one of the country's few Canadian Heritage Rivers.

While unwilling to reveal details of the possible resolution, the city's planning department has reported with confidence that a public announcement in this regard is likely forthcoming. Heritage Ottawa continues to remind the SNDC and Minto of their important role as trustee of this heritage property on behalf of the community's interest and the added intrinsic value a restored valuable cultural heritage resource would bring to their neighbouring subdivision.

Sparks/Queen/O'Connor Mixed-Use Development:

A potentially positive development plan for part of the block of Sparks Street between Metcalfe and O'Connor was approved by City Council this November. Truscan Property Corporation's proposal for a mixed-use development involves those properties currently owned by the NCC and includes a 12-storey office tower facing Queen Street and part of O'Connor.

The development steps-down toward Sparks Street where approximately 35 new residential units will be built behind and set back 10 meters from the facades of the existing historic buildings. The facades in question are of the former Home Bank building, the Hardy Arcade, the former Bowles Lunch and the former Bryson-Graham Store. New building construction will fill in the current parking lot where the Ottawa Citizen building once stood. All facades will be restored and retained on site.

Although Heritage Ottawa is committed in principle to preservation practices involving historic buildings in their entirety, in this case, because it was concluded by city staff that no significant original interior elements remain, and in view of the greater good of preserving the spirit of the historic streetscape of Sparks Street as a designated heritage district, it was concluded by Heritage Ottawa that support for this proposal was warranted. Truscan has agreed to continue to consult Heritage Ottawa representatives John Arnold and Gouhar Shemdin regarding final design decisions.

Sparks Street Heritage District Designation and 'Metcalfe Square':

The most recent round of mediation sessions between the city and those merchants and property owners, led by the NCC, who are planning to appeal the designation of part of Sparks Street as a heritage district at the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), has resulted in a compromise position that will be brought before Planning Committee and City Council in early January at which time details will be made available to the public.

Should the OMB ratify the designation in May, the NCC, as a federal body, is under no obligation to respect that decision - it is not bound by a municipal bylaw. As such, the NCC is relentlessly continuing, albeit quietly, to pursue its plans to demolish three historic buildings on the north side of Sparks Street, the Birks, Bate and Fisher buildings, and to physically move the Canada Four Corners and Marshall buildings, and to further demolish three more buildings on the south side in order to create the infamous 'Metcalfe Square'.

It remains incumbent upon the local community to reject this insensitive and inappropriate design that will result in the outright destruction of our city's cultural heritage. Do not wait until the NCC brings forth its design plans before letting your municipal and local federal representatives know just how absurd and unwanted this imposition on our city would be.

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