Demolition waste of local heritage
In answer to Damali Nabagereka’s article “Heritage be damned! Come park on Sparks” (Nov. 7) about the demolition of the former Woolworth and Kresge stores on Sparks Street, I can only say that the final outcome is a complete waste.
When my colleagues and I on the City of Ottawa’s Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee led the charge to have these buildings given a heritage designation last year, we were driven by our commitment to preserving buildings representing all periods and aspects of Ottawa’s history.
Apart from the loss to local history, the demolition is a waste because you can be sure the parking lot that replaces them will be there for a very long time. The new lot will become part of an existing one facing Queen Street created nearly 50 years ago. The demolition of the buildings is not the first but almost the only time someone has purposely destroyed a designated heritage structure in Ottawa.
Paul Robertson
Cornwall Street