17. DEMOLITIONS - 60 GUIGUES AVENUE AND 90 PARENT AVENUE, LOCATED WITHIN THE LOWERTOWN WEST HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT

DÉMOLITION - 60, AVENUE GUIGUES ET 90, AVENUE PARENT, DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DE LA BASSE-VILLE OUEST

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION AS AMENDED

That the approval of the demolition of 60 Guigues/90 Parent not be placed before Council until the approval of a site plan by the City.

RECOMMANDATION MODIFIÉE DU COMITÉ

Que la démolition du 60, rue Guigues/90, rue Parent ne soit pas présentée au Conseil municipal avant que le plan d’implantation soit approuvé par la Ville.

Documentation

1. Development Services Department General Manager’s report dated 28 April 2003 (ACS2003-DEV-APR-0022).

2. An Extract of Draft Minutes, 12 June 2003, will be distributed prior to Council.

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

28 April 2003 / le 28 avril 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

244-5300 ext. 1-3242, grant.lindsay@ottawa.ca

Ref N°: ACS2003-DEV-APR-0022

SUBJECT: DEMOLITION - 60 GUIGUES AVENUE AND 90 PARENT AVENUE, LOCATED WITHIN THE LOWERTOWN WEST HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT.

OBJET: DÉMOLITION – 60, AVENUE GUIGUES ET 90, AVENUE PARENT, DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DE LA BASSE-VILLE OUEST

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend that Planning and Development Committee and Council approve the application for the demolition of the structures at 60 Guigues Avenue and 90 Parent Avenue in the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District.

(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)

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité consultatif sur la conservation de l’architecture locale recommande au Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’aménagement et au Conseil d’approuver la demande de démolition des constructions situées aux 60, avenue Guigues et 90, avenue Parent, dans le District de conservation du patrimoine de la Basse-Ville Ouest.

(Nota : L’approbation de cette demande aux termes de la Loi sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario ne doit pas être considérée comme une reconnaissance du fait que le projet répond aux critères de délivrance d’un permis de construire.)

Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee Recommendation – 20 May 2003

LACAC refused the departmental recommendation.

BACKGROUND

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa is in the process of a long-term planning process that will see the centralization of all it functions and offices on the site of Notre Dame Cathedral, the historic centre of the Roman Catholic church in Ottawa. This long term plan would see the closing of Episcopal offices on Kilborn Avenue and the construction of a new building facing St. Patrick with a more appropriate parking facility, such as an underground lot, behind it on the lands east of the Cathedral. In order to help finance this project, the Archdiocese has applied to demolish two buildings to the east of the Cathedral and expand the commercial parking lot located there. The Archdiocese then will use the income generated from the temporarily-expanded surface parking lot to help finance its long time goal of returning to Lowertown, its traditional home in Ottawa. Other sources of income for the redevelopment of the property include the proceeds from the sale of the lands on Kilborn Avenue.

The Archdiocese must have the subject property re-zoned to allow for the temporary expansion of the surface parking lot and it must also obtain site plan approval. These applications are currently being processed by the Department of Development Services.

The subject properties, 60 Guigues and 90 Parent are located in the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act (Bylaw 192-94). They are part of a complex of buildings located to the east of Notre Dame Cathedral in the block bordered by Guigues, St. Patrick, Sussex and Parent. This report has been prepared because the area’s status as a heritage conservation district requires the consent of City Council before a property may be demolished.

The two buildings on the site were constructed in 1958 to serve the needs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese to the designs of Auguste Martineau, architect. The building at 60 Guigues is a flat roofed, three storey building, 508.34 square metres in size that is sheathed in stone. It is attached to Notre Dame Cathedral and was designed to serve as a rectory. It no longer serves this purpose. 90 Parent is a flat-roofed, three storey “L”–shaped structure of smooth and rough cut stone. It features a cantilevered canopy and a wide overhanging eave. It was the headquarters of the Catholic Conference of Bishops for many years but it is now vacant. Both buildings were designed with some care to blend with the character of the Cathedral. 60 Guigues was not evaluated separately as part of the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District study since it is a small annex of the Cathedral. It was included as part of the Cathedral itself and the structure draws its significance from the church because it is linked to it. 90 Parent was evaluated as part of the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District and it is a Category 3 building.

There is an historic stone wall parallel to Guigues constructed between 1878 and 1888. This wall is an important element of the streetscape as it has enclosed the Cathedral property and defined its edge for over a hundred years.

DISCUSSION

When Lowertown West was designated as a heritage conservation district, City Council adopted the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District Study. Part 7 of the Study, the Heritage Conservation District Plan, contains guidelines for the management of change within the District. Section 7.3.1 of the Plan states:

Change is very evident in the urban character of Lowertown West and the variety created by change is a fundamental part of the neighbourhood. Change can be distinguished however as change which adds to the rich evolution of the area, contributing to the architectural variety seen in Lowertown, or change which obscures or removes evidence of the past, creating a diminished historical context.

The long-term changes to the Cathedral lands currently contemplated by the Archdiocese will add to the richness of the area, as these changes will result in the consolidation of the Diocese’s function adjacent to the Cathedral and the construction of a new building that will be designed to complement the heritage character of Lowertown and the Cathedral compound.

The Lowertown West Study discourages the demolition of buildings within the District stating in 7.5.4 that:

As a general rule, demolition of structures within the District will not be recommended for approval by City Council. … Structures deemed not to have heritage significance may be considered for demolition, if an appropriate replacement structure is proposed.

In this particular case, the Development Services Department does not object to the proposed demolitions. The buildings are of lesser heritage significance and some of their significance is derived from their function as part of the existing complex of buildings relating to the Cathedral. Since the future plan of the Archdiocese is to return to its historic Lowertown location, and to construct new diocesan offices on the site, in accordance with the Guidelines contained within the Heritage Study, the Department believes that the loss of these two structures is offset by the laudable goal of returning to Lowertown and once again functioning as a vital player in the neighbourhood. Furthermore, although the Department does not normally support the replacement of heritage buildings by surface parking lots, a surface parking lot already exists on the lot and during the years that the land will continue to function as a surface parking lot prior to redevelopment, it will be landscaped and screened by the historic stone wall (retained or re-built, depending on its condition) and shrubbery to diminish its impact on the streetscape. The wall will then be incorporated into the site plan for the projected new building, thereby ensuring that this historic feature will continue to be an important component of the cultural landscape of Lowertown.

CONSULTATION

Adjacent property owners and residential tenants 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.

Staff of the Archdiocese met with the Lowertown West Community Association to present the multi-year plans for the Cathedral property on April 15, 2003. There were no objections to the plans for the site.

Councillor Madeleine Meilleur supports this project.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS

The complete application for this project was received on January 21, 2003. The applicant gave his permission to extend the 90 day timeline established for the processing of heritage applications.

ATTACHMENTS

Document 1 - Location Map

Document 2 - Site Plan, Existing

Document 3 - Site Plan, Proposed

Document 4 - Heritage Survey and Evaluation Form, 90 Parent Avenue

Document 5 - Photo, 60 Guigues Avenue

Document 6 - Extract of Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee Minutes 30

6 May 2003

DISPOSITION

The Department of Corporate Services, Council and Committee Services Branch, to notify the applicant/ agent (Xavier Rankin, 403 Oaklawn Crescent, Orleans, Ontario, K4A 3J3), the owner (The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa, 1247 Kilborn Place, Ottawa, Ontario, K1h 6K9) and the Ontario Heritage Foundation (10 Adelaide Avenue, 3^rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1J3) of City Council’s consent to demolish the properties at 60 Guigues and 90 Parent.

LOCATION MAP Document 1

SITE PLAN, EXISTING Document 2

SITE PLAN, PROPOSED Document 3

HERITAGE SURVEY AND EVALUATION FORM

90 PARENT AVENUE Document 4

PHOTO, 60 GUIGUES AVENUE Document 5

Document 6

Extract of LOCAL ARCHITectural conservation advisory Committee Minutes 30 6 may 2003

Extrait dU procès-verbal 30 du Comité consultatif sur la conservation de l’architecture locale le 6 mai 2003

DEMOLITION – 60 GUIGUES AVENUE AND 90 PARENT AVENUE, LOCATED WITHIN THE LOWERTOWN WEST HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT

DÉMOLITION – 60, AVENUE GUIGUES ET 90, AVENUE PARENT, DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DE LA BASSE-VILLE OUEST

ACS2003-DEV-APR-0022

Sally Coutts, Heritage Planner provided an overview of the departmental report including the rationale for the proposed demolitions and the preservation of the historic stone wall parallel to Guigues Avenue constructed between 1878 and 1888. Ms. Coutts noted the buildings slated for demolition were constructed in 1958 and designed by Auguste Martineau. She explained that the Lowertown West Heritage Study ranks the structure at 90 Parent Avenue as a category 3 on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 meaning little or no heritage significance. The building at 60 Guigues Avenue was not separately rated as it is attached to the Notre Dame Cathedral, rated as a category 1. She provided slides of the façades and neighbouring buildings. The planner noted the demolition would allow for additional commercial and institutional parking, which would help finance long-term redevelopment to reflect the historic land use of the block. She noted that the Community Association and the Ward Councillor had no objection to the application.

The following correspondence was received:

1- M. Thibodeau email correspondence dated 9 April 2003

2- A. Condon email correspondence dated 16 April 2003

3- J. Huppé comment sheet dated 1 May 2003

4- S. Ricketts email correspondence dated 2 May 2003

5- L. Baxter email correspondence dated 5 May 2003

6- F. Levac email correspondence dated 7 May 2003

The advisory committee heard from the applicant:

Monsignor Pat Powers, Archdiocese of Ottawa, explained the current state of the two buildings, which are currently vacant. He explained that they are poorly constructed and need of repair. A firm retained to estimate the cost of repair fixed the work at $1.8 million. He stated that the Archdiocese did not have the means to cover these costs. However, it plans to sell other properties on Parent Avenue and administrative offices on Kilborn Avenue when the market value better reflects the true financial worth of the buildings. Monsignor Powers noted the redevelopment would include the building of new administrative offices on site with underground parking. The project would be undertaken in approximately eight to ten years with the proceeds from the commercial parking operations and the sale of properties. He responded to questions from Members J. Critchley and A. Keith with respect to the commercial parking operations and the estimated revenue.

In response to comments from Member G. Shemdin, Ms. Coutts explained that City Council has the power under new provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act to refuse an application for demolition on the grounds that plans for a replacement building have not been received. She noted that the provision is a tool and Council is not obliged to refuse the application on those grounds.

The applicant and planner responded to questions from members of the advisory committee pertaining to the district study, commercial parking operations, the design and size of the future replacement building, the possible phasing of the new construction, funding for the redevelopment and the traffic impact study.

Member A. Keith stated his opposition to the proposed demolitions commenting that the buildings have fit satisfactorily with their surroundings for a half century. Mr. Keith noted that he could not support the demolition without plans for a replacement building or to increase surface parking. He expressed his uneasiness with the timeframe for the construction of a new building. He noted that the increased surface parking as a result of the demolitions would only amount to one fifth of the funding required for the redevelopment.

Member J. Curry spoke in favour of the application noting that the Archdiocese has been a landowner in Lowertown dating back to the foundation of Bytown. He was satisfied with the applicant’s commitment to redevelop the site in an appropriate manner. Mr. Curry touched on the restoration of the cathedral and palace as good examples of the Archdiocese’s commitment to architectural heritage.

Member J. Critchley and L. McGovern spoke against the proposal with respect to the timeframe for a new building, which has not been formalized with sketches or plans. Ms. McGovern noted that LACAC has been consistent in the past, refusing applications for demolition when plans for a replacement building have not been received. Member P. Stumes noted that members should trust future members of LACAC who will review plans when a new building is proposed. Member G. Shemdin proposed a motion requesting that sketches outlining the mass, size and materials of the building that will be constructed in 8-10 years be submitted to LACAC for review. She later withdrew the motion after members commented that such a sketch would not be binding on the applicant. Monsignor Powers offered to provide sketches if necessary.

Member R. Bellamy explained that the district study was conducted in 1992. She advanced that the building situated at 90 Parent Avenue could receive a higher rating today, because the building is over 40 years of age. She commented that it is an interesting modern building, which contributes to the overall character of the cathedral precinct.

Member G. Shemdin requested that the vote be split on the application in order to vote on the demolitions separately.

Moved by Member J. Curry

That the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend that Planning and Development Committee and Council approve the application for the demolition of the structures at 60 Guigues Avenue in the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District.

LOST

YEAS (3): Members J. Curry, A. Jones, Chair G. Obagi

NAYS (9): Members R. Bellamy, J. Critchley, A. Keith, C. Marple, H. McArthur, L. McGovern, G. Shemdin, P. Stumes, B. Warren

Moved by Member J. Curry

That the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend that Planning and Development Committee and Council approve the application for the demolition of the structures at 90 Parent Avenue in the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District.

LOST

YEAS (4): Members J. Curry, A. Jones, P. Stumes, Chair G. Obagi

NAYS (8): Members R. Bellamy, J. Critchley, A. Keith, C. Marple, H. McArthur, L. McGovern, G. Shemdin, B. Warren