Report to/Rapport au:

Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee/

Comité consultative local sur la conservation de l’architecture

Planning and Development Committee/Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’aménagement

and Council/et au Conseil

10 October 2001/le 10 octobre 2001

Submitted by/Soumis par: Ned Lathrop, General Manager/Directeur général

Development Services Department / Services d’aménagement

Contact/Personne-ressource: Grant Lindsay, Manager, Development Approvals /

Gestionnaire, Approbation des demandes d’aménagement

580-2424-13242 Grant.Lindsay@city.ottawa.on.ca

Ref N°: ACS2001-DEV-APR-0241

SUBJECT: APPLICATION FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION IN A HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT – 131 QUEEN STREET

OBJET: DEMANDE CONCERNANT UNE NOUVELLE CONSTRUCTION DANS UN DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE – 131, RUE QUEEN

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Planning and Development Committee recommend to Council:

1. That approval be given to construct a new building at 131 Queen Street in accordance with the plans submitted by Bregman and Hamann Architects, received on October 1, 2001 and as described in this report.

2. That approval be given to demolish the existing building located at 121 Queen Street, and partially demolish the buildings located at 126 to 146 Sparks Street subject to the issuance of a building permit for new construction.

(Note: Approval of this application under the Ontario Heritage Act must not be construed to meet the requirements for the issuance of a building permit.)

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le comité de l’urbanisme et de l’aménagement recommande au Conseil :

1. que la construction d’un nouvel édifice au 131, rue Queen conformément aux plans soumis par Bregmann at Hamann Architects et reçus le 1er octobre 2001, et tels qu’ils sont décrits dans le présent rapport, soit approuvée ;

2. que la démolition de l’édifice actuel situé au 121, rue Queen et la démolition partielle des édifices situés entre le 126 et le 146, rue Sparks soient approuvées sous réserve de l’émission d’un permis de construire pour le nouvel édifice.

(Nota : l’ approbation de cette demande en vertu de la Loi sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario n’a pas pour effet de satisfaire aux exigences de délivrance d’un permis de construire.)

Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee Recommendations - 06 November 2001

LACAC supports the staff recommendation with the following proposed amendments. (Extract of Draft Minute of the 06 November 2001 meeting of LACAC immediately follows the report).

That the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend to Council:

1. That approval be given to construct a new building at 131 Queen Street, in accordance with the amended conceptual drawings as presented by Bregman and Hamann Architects, on 6 November 2001;

2. That the LACAC be given the opportunity to review the Queen Street façade designs, when available, for information and input; and

3. That approval be given to demolish the existing building located at 121 Queen Street, and partially demolish the buildings located at 126 to 146 Sparks Street subject to the issuance of a building permit for new constructions with the understanding that the owners and architects will make every possible effort to retain and repair existing historic materials and detailing of the present structures.

BACKGROUND

The property at 131 Queen Street is situated within the Sparks Street Heritage Conservation District which is designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act through by-law 174-2000. In accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act, new construction within a heritage conservation district requires the approval of City Council following consultation with the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC).

The proposed building is located on the western half of the block bounded by Sparks Street, O’Connor and Queen as shown in Document 1 of this Report. The site is largely vacant with the exception of existing buildings at 126, 130, 134, 146 Sparks and 121 Queen. As part of the Central Area West Heritage Conservation District Study, these buildings were rated on a scale of 1 to 4 with 1 signifying the highest heritage significance and 4 the lowest. All of the buildings on Sparks Street were rated as Group 1 buildings and 121 Queen was rated as Group 3. The Heritage Survey Forms upon which the scores were based are included as Document 12 of this report and are available on request from the City Clerk.

The proposed building as illustrated in Documents 2, 3, 4 of this report will be approximately three storeys in height along Sparks Street rising to twelve storeys closer to Queen Street. A residential component will sit behind and above the facades of the heritage buildings fronting on Sparks Street as shown in the storefront elevations included as Documents 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The building design respects the height of adjacent buildings on Sparks Street and Queen Street and conforms with the height plane prescribed by the zoning by-law. The building will include ground floor retail space along Sparks Street. Residential units are located above the retail extending south to a covered light well. This will separate the residential use from the commercial closer to Queen and O’Connor. Each retail space along Sparks Street will have an individual entrance to the Sparks Street Mall.

A Site Plan Control Application is being processed concurrently with this application under the Ontario Heritage Act.

DISCUSSION

Recommendation 1.

Staff support this application. It conforms with the policies of Official Plan of the former City of Ottawa as it relates to new construction in this area. The application complies with the Site Specific Guidelines described in the Central Area West Heritage Conservation District Study as follows:

“…the Sparks Street street-wall should be aligned with those of the existing buildings on either side. The ground level street space should be retail space, and the retail frontage should follow the typical rhythm now existing on Sparks Street, maximizing the number of discrete entrances within the overall frontage. The height of the street-wall on Sparks Street should be approximately the same height as the existing building to the west. As has been done with the design for the proposed development further to the west at 167-178 Sparks (181 Queen), the higher portions of the massing of the project should be located on the Queen Street frontage, in accordance with the current zoning envelope. The Queen Street frontage should not be uniform across its entire elevation, but break its mass and skyline according to the proportions and rhythm of the historic buildings to the east. The setback from Sparks Street of this higher building element should be sufficient to preserve good conditions of sunlight on Sparks Street itself. It would be desirable that the upper part of the portion of the building fronting onto O’Connor Street should be set back above the height of the adjacent building at 154 Spark Street.”

Central Area West Heritage Conservation District Study by Mark Fram and Associates, December 1999, p. 176. A full copy of this report is included as Document 13 of this report and is available on request from the City Clerk.

Recommendation 2.

According to the Central Area West Heritage Conservation District Study, 121 Queen Street was constructed in 1927. Since then, it has undergone significant changes, including the recladding of its front façade and recent storefront alterations to accommodate a restaurant. The building rated as a Group 3 building in the Central Area West Heritage Conservation District Study. A Group 3 building has a degree of heritage significance on a scale of 1 to 4 with 1 being the highest significance and 4 the lowest. The demolition of this building is required in order to accommodate access to the two-level below grade parking garage. The building façade will be recorded by the applicant with rectified black and white photography or measured drawings prior to demolition.

The facades of the four heritage buildings facing Sparks Street will be retained in situ and incorporated as part of the new development. The ground floor storefronts of these buildings, which have been considerably altered over time, will be replaced with new storefronts influenced by the original storefront design as evidenced by early photographs included as Document 5. These storefront designs are illustrated in Documents 6 through 10 of this report. The Hardy Arcade Building at 130 Sparks is a Federally Recognized Heritage Building with facades on both Sparks as well as Queen Streets and a unique interior space which links Sparks and Queen with a sloping retail corridor with shops on one side. A sectional drawing illustrating the Arcade is included as Document 11. The Hardy Arcade facades on Sparks and Queen streets will be retained as will many interior elements and finishes. The interior will have to be dismantled and reconstructed because of the need to construct above and below the Arcade as part of the new development.

Although the preservation of the mass and form of a heritage building in its entirety is an acknowledged goal of heritage preservation, this is not always possible. In this instance, the proposed development at 131 Queen has incorporated many commendable features as follows:

· the original heritage building facades will be retained and rehabilitated in situ and not dismantled or reproduced;

· the ground floor storefronts of the heritage buildings will be redesigned, inspired by historical precedent;

· new construction above and behind the Sparks Street facades will be set back from the facades to a depth of at least three metres in order to distinguish the old from the new;

· the alignment of windows on the new upper residential storeys will closely correspond to those in the original heritage storefronts below;

· the levels the original building footprints will be echoed in the separating/demising walls of the new interior retail space on Sparks as well as the new residential units above;

· the original function, space and many of the original building elements of the Hardy Arcade will be preserved following new construction and reinstatement.

CONSULTATION

Adjacent property owners as well as business and community associations were notified by letter of the date of the LACAC and Planning and Development Committee meetings and were provided with comment sheets to be returned to LACAC. This is in accordance with the municipal public participation policies of the former City of Ottawa regarding heritage alterations including new construction in a heritage district.

The Ward Councillor, Elisabeth Arnold is in general support of this application at this time.

A Site Plan Control application is being circulated concurrently with this application.

The proposed development at 131 Queen was presented at a public meeting held by the National Capital Commission on September 25, 2001. This public meeting was televised on Community Cable television in English and French.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

ATTACHMENTS

Document 1 Location Plan

Document 2-4 Elevations on Sparks, O’Connor and Queen Streets

Document 5-10 Storefront Designs

Document 11 Section through the Hardy Arcade

Document 12 Heritage Survey Forms (distributed separately to LACAC and on file with City Clerk)

Document 13 Central Area West Heritage Conservation District Study by Mark Fram and Associates , December 1999 (on file with City Clerk)

DISPOSITION

The Department of Corporate Services, Statutory Services Branch to notify the owner, Truscan Property Corporation, 20th floor, 222 Bay Street, Toronto Ontario M5K 1A2. and the agent Bregman and Hamann Architects Suite 300, 481 University Avenue, Toronto, Ont. M5G 2H4 and the Ontario Heritage Foundation (10 Adelaide Street East, 3^rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1J3) of City Council’s decision.

Location Plan Document 1

Elevations on Sparks Street Document 2

Elevations on O’Connor Street Document 3

Elevations on Queen Street Document 4

Storefront Design Document 5

Storefront Design Document 6

Storefront Design Document 7

Storefront Design Document 8

Storefront Design Document 9

Storefront Design Document 10

Section through the Hardy Arcade Document 11

Extract of Draft Minutes

Local Architectural Conservation

Advisory Committee

6 November 2001

APPLICATION FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION IN A HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT – 131 QUEEN STREET

DEMANDE CONCERNANT UNE NOUVELLE CONSTRUCTION DANS UN DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE – 131, RUE QUEEN

Ref : ACS2001-DEV-APR-0241

Mr. S. Lazear, Senior Heritage Planner, described the existing buildings at 121 Queen Street and 126 to 146 Sparks Street and outlined the proposed development. He noted this is a large and unique, mixed use development within the Sparks Street Heritage Conservation District. It includes commercial, office and residential components and it involves a large vacant site as well as existing structures. Mr. Lazear responded to questions from LACAC members with respect to the building at 121 Queen Street, the former Bowles Lunch building at 134 Sparks Street and the Hardy Arcade at 130 Sparks Street. He explained that the building at 121 Queen Street (Oscar’s Restaurant) was built in 1927 has undergone significant modifications over the years. The Hardy Arcade will continue to function as it does now and, as much as possible, its interior elements will be incorporated within a new structure.

Mr. B. McKinley, Lawyer for Truscan Property Corporation, explained the development and approval process for the project. He indicated Truscan entered into negotiations to acquire the land from the National Capital Commission (NCC) approximately nine months ago. Because the land is currently owned by the NCC, any application must receive federal and municipal approvals. The development group has made its presentation to the NCC’s Advisory Committee on Planning, Design and Realty (ACPDR) and received approval in principle. He indicated the NCC had some very specific concerns with respect to Sparks Street. Because it is a heritage district and it is within a parliamentary precinct, any development there must not only address the heritage issues but must also be sensitive to the fact that there is a significant requirement to revitalize Sparks Street. He explained that the choice of mixed use development is an effort to revitalize what is currently a market in decline.

Mr. D. McAlister, Architect, Bregman & Hamann, listed the elements which had to be considered in the design of this project; two principle streets at different levels, heritage elements, and mixed uses. He then described the plan within the site and indicated that because of the height plane under the zoning by-law and the distance to which the higher structures will be set back, the structures above and behind the Sparks Street storefronts will not be highly visible to pedestrians on Sparks Street.

Mr. W. Greer, Heritage Consultant, described the analysis and restoration work that will be done on each affected building on Sparks Street and outlined the modifications which will be made to the Hardy Arcade property.

The presenters answered detailed questions from LACAC members with respect to the building materials to be used, the number of residential units to be incorporated, the types of businesses to be included in the Hardy Arcade and the proposed location of the entrance to the underground parking garage.

Member Keith noted the sketch contained in the report suggests that dormer windows will be incorporated into the roof atop the former Bowles Lunch building yet the new drawings show no such windows. Mr. McAlister indicated the development team feels very strongly about the need to include windows in that space in order to allow for two additional residential units. He then explained two different options for incorporating the windows.

In response to questions with respect to the Queen Street side of the development, Mr. McAlister showed LACAC members a preliminary sketch of the Queen Street façade. He described the design and gave some indication of the materials to be used.

Member McGovern wondered about the requirement for the developer to obtain NCC approval for the project. Mr. McAlister indicated that presentations were made to the NCC’s Advisory Committee on Planning, Design and Realty (ACPDR) on two occasions and approval in principle has been obtained.

Mr. McKinley explained the timelines for the project. Assuming approval from the LACAC, the Planning and Development Committee and Council in this calendar year and assuming things go as planned, the building would be up and ready for occupancy by the end of 2004.

Chair Obagi noted the report recommendation makes reference to plans submitted on October 1, 2001 and wondered if they are still the latest version. Mr. Lazear indicated there have been slight modifications to the elevation since then therefore the LACAC would be approving the drawings as amended on this date.

Ms. J. Palmer, a representative of the City of Ottawa’s Heritage Advisory Committee (HAC), began by applauding Truscan Property Corporation for withdrawing their objection to the heritage district designation and for their willingness to work within that designation. She indicated the Heritage Advisory Committee’s position is to support the addition of two recessed dormers atop the former Bowles Lunch building. Although it is an intrusion on the historical fabric, the HAC understands the need for two additional residential units. Ms. Palmer deplored the practice of retaining façades and not the original building. However she noted that, for the most part, there is very little left of the interiors of the original buildings in this area. With these points in mind, Ms. Palmer expressed the HAC’s support for this application.

Member Rodgers was glad to see that the vacant space on Queen Street will be filled in. However, he was concerned that the LACAC was being asked to approve designs without actually seeing all the details and wondered if more comprehensive designs would be forthcoming. Mr. Lazear explained that unless the design departs substantially from what is before the LACAC, the developer will not be required to submit more detailed designs.

Member Keith also expressed discomfort in approving the Queen Street façade without having had a chance to look at it in detail. He wondered if it would be possible to consider the Queen Street façade at a later meeting.

Mr. McKinley suggested that City Council, through the LACAC, does not have the authority to approve the new construction on Queen Street. That element will be subject to a building permit application. He maintained that the LACAC’s and Council’s authority, with respect to this development, is limited to the application to alter and/or demolish heritage structures. However, he believed the developer should go on record as expressing their willingness to submit final design concepts for the Queen Street elevation, for the information of the LACAC, when they are available.

Mr. Lazear explained that what has been filed is an application for new construction in a heritage conservation district. As part of that application, there are components which involve the restoration of existing buildings, the demolition of one building on Queen Street, the partial demolition of buildings along Sparks Street, new construction behind the existing buildings on Sparks Street, and the construction of a new building on Queen Street. The design guidelines this development respects relate to the development design on Sparks Street and the respect it will give to the heritage building façades. Therefore, he acknowledged that the concentration of effort and the assessment of this development application have been with respect to those aspects.

Member Rodgers disagreed with Mr. McKinley’s statement with respect to the LACAC’s and City Council authority in relation to this project. He noted that under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, when a heritage conservation district is created, the Council having created it has authority to control new construction within it if that is set out in the reasons for designation of the area.

Members inquired about the possibility of splitting their decision. Mr. Lazear indicated that the LACAC can reject the application, it can accept the application, with or without modifications, but it cannot defer it.

Member Shemdin wondered about the heritage district guidelines and whether or not they would apply to the Queen Street façade. Mr. Lazear explained that the heritage district guidelines relate primarily to the Sparks Street portion of this design.

Chair Obagi read out a motion from Vice Chair Bellamy which suggested that the LACAC approve the application based on the amended conceptual designs presented.

Members debated the appropriate wording for the recommendations and agreed on the following:

Moved by R. Bellamy

That recommendation 1 be amended to indicated that the LACAC is approving “conceptual drawings” as presented on 6 November 2001;

That a second recommendation be added to indicated that the LACAC requests the opportunity to comment on and have input into the final Queen Street façades designs, when available; and

That the last recommendation be amended to indicate that the LACAC gives its approval with the understanding that the owners and architects will make every possible effort to retain and repair existing historic materials and detailing of the present structures.

CARRIED

The Committee then voted on the recommendations as amended:

That the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend to Council:

1. That approval be given to construct a new building at 131 Queen Street, in accordance with the amended conceptual drawings as presented by Bregman and Hamann Architects, on 6 November 2001;

2. That the LACAC be given the opportunity to review the Queen Street façade designs, when available, for information and input; and

CARRIED as amended

(Note: Approval of this application under the Ontario Heritage Act must not be construed to meet the requirements for the issuance of a building permit.)