4. APPLICATION FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION AT 296 BANK STREET / 380 SOMERSET STREET WEST IN THE CENTRETOWN HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT

DEMANDE DE CONSTRUCTION D’UNE PROPRIÉTÉ AU 296, RUE BANK / 3380 RUE SOMERSET OUEST DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DU CENTRE-VILLE

Committee Recommendations

That Council approve:

1. The demolition of the former Somerset Theatre at 384 Somerset Street West and the McCord Apartments at 374 Somerset Street West.

2. The application for new construction at 296 Bank Street/ 380 Somerset Street West in accordance with the plans by Barry Padolsky Architect as received on February 12, 2003.

(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 Comité

Que le Conseil municipal approuve :

1. la démolition de l’ancien Cinéma Somerset, situé au 384, rue Somerset Ouest, et des Appartements McCord, situés au 374, rue Somerset Ouest.

2. la demande de construction d’une propriété au 296, rue Bank/380, rue Somerset Ouest conformément aux plans de Barry Padolsky Architect reçus le 12 février 2003.

(Nota : l’approbation de cette demande aux termes de la Loi sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario ne signifie pas qu’elle satisfait aux critères de délivrance d’un permis de construire.)

Documentation

1. Development Services Department General Manager’s report dated 12 March 2003 (ACS2003-DEV-APR-0071).

Report to/Rapport au:

Local Architectural Advisory Committee/

Comité consultatif sur la conservation de l’architecture locale

Planning and Development Committee/

Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’aménagement

and Council/et au Conseil

March 12, 2003/ le 12 mars 2003

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 ext. 13242, grant.lindsay@ottawa.ca

Ref N°: ACS2003-DEV-APR-0071

SUBJECT: APPLICATION FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION AT 296 BANK STREET / 380 SOMERSET STREET WEST IN THE CENTRETOWN HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT

OBJET: DEMANDE DE CONSTRUCTION D’UNE PROPRIÉTÉ AU 296, RUE BANK/380, RUE SOMERSET OUEST DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DU CENTRE-VILLE

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend that Planning and Development Committee and Council approve:

1. The demolition of the former Somerset Theatre at 384 Somerset Street West and the McCord Apartments at 374 Somerset Street West.

2. The application for new construction at 296 Bank Street/ 380 Somerset Street West in accordance with the plans by Barry Padolsky Architect as received on February 12, 2003.

(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 consultatif sur la conservation de l’architecture locale recommande au Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’aménagement d’approuver :

1. la démolition de l’ancien Cinéma Somerset, situé au 384, rue Somerset Ouest, et des Appartements McCord, situés au 374, rue Somerset Ouest.

2. la demande de construction d’une propriété au 296, rue Bank/380, rue Somerset Ouest conformément aux plans de Barry Padolsky Architect reçus le 12 février 2003.

(Nota : l’approbation de cette demande aux termes de la Loi sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario ne signifie pas qu’elle satisfait aux critères de délivrance d’un permis de construire.)

Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee Recommendation – 1 April 2003

LACAC supports the departmental recommendations.

BACKGROUND

This application involves the parcel of land occupying the east third of the block bounded by Somerset Street on the north, Bank Street on the west and MacLaren Street on the south. A location plan is included as Document 1. The following properties are included in this parcel: 384 Somerset (the former Somerset Theatre); 374 Somerset (the McCord Apartments); 294 Bank (the former bank of Montreal now part of Hartman’s Independent Grocer); 296 Bank (Hartman’s Independent Grocer); 300 Bank at MacLaren (Hartman’s Independent Grocer on the first floor and apartments above). The proposal is to extend the Hartman’s Independent Grocer store westward on the first/existing level, and construct four storeys of apartments above. Elevations are included as Documents 3 and 4. The former Somerset Theatre and the McCord Apartments would be demolished. This entire property is located in the Centretown Heritage Conservation District which is designated as a heritage conservation district under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1994. This report has been prepared because the consent of City Council is required to approve the demolition of buildings within a heritage conservation district and to approve new construction in a heritage conservation district.

DISCUSSION

Recommendation 1

Of the five existing buildings on the site, two are proposed for demolition as part of this application. The former Somerset Theatre at 384 Somerset Street West was rated during the Centretown Heritage Conservation District Study as a Category 2 building on a scale of 1 to 4 with 1 being the highest significance. The McCord Apartments at 374 Somerset Street West was rated as a Category 4 building i.e. of negligible heritage value. Heritage Survey forms are included as Documents 5 and 6 of this report.

The retention of the McCord Apartments and the Somerset Theatre as part of the proposed Hartman’s Independent Grocer/ Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC) Apartment was examined by the architect Barry Padolsky. His rationale for demolishing the two buildings included the considerations below.

The expansion of the grocery store across the entire site west of the existing store would remove existing surface parking and necessitate the construction of underground parking for customers of the store. In that the expanded store would require even more parking than that currently provided at grade it would not be possible to limit the size of the underground parking.

The required construction of underground parking is the principle reason that the Somerset Theatre and McCord Apartments cannot be retained as part of the current proposal. The potential rehabilitation of the Somerset Theatre as multi-level/loft retail space for the expanded grocery store was considered but the need to construct underground parking over the entire site as well as apartments on upper storeys supported by a regular foundation plan made this idea unfeasible. The retention of the façade of the Somerset Theatre was also examined but the simple, Moderne-styled façade of the theatre could not easily accommodate the introduction/penetration of windows for new upper storey apartments.

The McCord Apartments could not be retained for the reasons of underground parking noted above but, in addition, the building could not be adapted for an expanded retail function in a manner similar to the former Bank of Montreal to the east.

Neither building has any interior elements remaining of heritage interest.

While the loss of these two buildings will be regrettable, the following measures will be carried out by the applicant:

The Somerset Theatre and McCord Apartments will be documented by the applicant and the “As Found” photo documentation will be filed with the City Archives for posterity.
The two existing main doorways of the McCord Apartments will be retained and incorporated as interior doorways in the apartment component.
The name of the apartment complex will be “The New McCord” subject to the approval of Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC).

Recommendation 2

The Centretown Heritage Conservation District Guidelines, Section VII.5 Building Conservation and Infill Guidelines, encourage infill development and the promotion of, “design which is sympathetic to existing building types and which reestablishes streetscape continuity.” Recommendation 1 of the Residential Infill Guidelines states that, “infill development should be of contemporary design, distinguishable as being of its own time. However, it must be sympathetic to the heritage character of the area, and designed to enhance these existing properties rather than calling attention to itself.” The proposed building is of contemporary design but borrows elements from the streetscape such as the columns and cornice of the Bank of Montreal and recessed balconies of the three-storey apartment building at 416 Somerset Street.

Materials and detailing are discussed in Recommendation 4 of the Residential Infill Guidelines which state, “Brick veneer should be the primary finish material in most areas, to maintain continuity with existing buildings… Colors should be rich and sympathetic to existing patterns”. The proposed building will be clad in brick of a red/ brown color sympathetic to adjacent older buildings. A concrete cornice will delineate and frame the new grocery store entrance and match the horizontal line of the Bank of Montreal stone cornice to the east.

The remaining existing buildings which form part of this property will be enhanced to restore their heritage characteristics (former Bank of Montreal at 294 Bank Street and the three storey white brick apartment at 300 Bank at Maclaren) both at and above grade. Restoration work on the former Bank of Montreal will include repairing broken masonry and completely repointing the brick. The restoration work at 300 Bank will include repairing and repainting the metal primary and secondary cornices. The existing awnings will be removed and replaced with a new linear canopy above the windows. All windows will be used to their best advantage and feature either views into the store or dispays of merchandise. Openings along MacLaren will be illuminated from within and feature merchandise/displays.

The proposed project design will contribute to the streetscapes of Somerset Street West and Bank Street within this part of the Centretown Heritage Conservation District.

CONSULTATION

Adjacent property owners, area community associations and Heritage Ottawa were notified of the date of the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (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 policy regarding heritage applications.

An Official Plan Amendment, Zoning Amendment have been approved for this proposed development and a Site Plan Control Application is in process. Public consultation was carried out as part of these applications and a public meeting was held on January 30, 2002.

The Ward Councillor, Elisabeth Arnold, has the following comments:

I strongly support this proposed development to permit a one-storey grocery store expansion and a new 60-unit apartment building at this location. The mixed-use development will help meet our affordable housing, downtown revitalization and official plan goals.

It is unfortunate that the two existing buildings on Somerset Street cannot be incorporated into the redevelopment application. It is, therefore, important that the applicant be required to reflect and respect the heritage district to the greatest degree possible, for example by reusing some of the materials from the McCord apartment building, and by introducing architectural details on the large blank walls on the MacLaren Street and east facing wall that reflect the heritage character of the area and the buildings on site.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS

This application was received on February 12, 2003. It was processed within the 90-day timeline established under the Ontario Heritage Act for processing of heritage applications.

ATTACHMENTS

Document 1- Location Map

Document 2- Site Plan

Document 3- Elevations (South & East)

Document 4- Elevations (North & West)

Document 5- Heritage Survey Form 384 Somerset West (former Somerset Theatre)

Document 6- Heritage Survey Form 374 Somerset West (McCord Apartments)

Document 7- Somerset Elevation

DISPOSITION

The Department of Corporate Services, Secretariat Services Branch, to notify the applicant, Mr. Barry Padolsky Architect, Mercury Court, 377 Dalhousie Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 9N8, Mr. Larry Hartman, Hartman’s Independent Grocer, 296 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1X8and the Ontario Heritage Foundation, 10 Adelaide Street East, 3^rd floor, Toronto, ON, M5C 1J3 of City Council’s decision.

LOCATION MAP Document 1