By Susan White
Local heritage advocates say Ottawa city council should do more to encourage business development in historical buildings, despite the costly process.
Carolyn Quinn, president of Heritage Ottawa, says the new city council should offer incentives, such as tax breaks, to owners of buildings with heritage designation as a means to improve their sites. Under the current system, Quinn says it’s often cheaper for owners to tear down their buildings and put up a parking lot rather than restore them.
“The municipal government needs to help the private owner,” she says.
Quinn adds that heritage buildings can benefit the businesses housed in them. “Even just keeping the old façade increases the marketability,” she says.
Sally Coutts, heritage planner for the city, agrees. She points to Elgin Street where many buildings have heritage status. She says the success of business owners who have used the designation to their advantage has helped bring in other ventures. This has in turn contributed to the area’s success.
“People like to put money into restoration, and they’re more likely to do so if they know the one next to (their building) won’t be torn down,” says Coutts.
Heritage buildings have a charm that adds to the ambience of an area, she says. It becomes a more attractive place to go, which draws people to the district.
“It could only work to the property owner’s advantage,” she says
However, Cindy VanBuskirk, director of marketing and leasing for the Rideau Centre, isn’t sure that heritage designation offers such an advantage to businesses.
The Rideau Centre’s planned expansion has been delayed for at least six months because the Ogilvy building on the corner of Nicolas and Rideau streets has been recommended for heritage designation.
If heritage status is granted, three walls will have to be left intact up to the fifth level. VanBuskirk says this isn’t practical.
She says it could cost the Viking Rideau Corp. additional millions to tear down the building while preserving three of the exterior walls. The building also needs to be moved back from the sidewalk, which will cost even more money.
But the corporation is willing to compromise. “We are not the big, bad landlord trying to tear down a piece of Ottawa’s history,” she says.
VanBuskirk says the wall facing Rideau Street is the most important, and that only the first three floors have any historical significance as the other stories were added later. So far this suggestion hasn’t been warmly received.
Quinn says there are many areas where heritage status could help increase business.
She points to the block of buildings on Bank Street near James Street. There is a current proposal to change the buildings into condominium or apartment complexes.
Quinn says this will keep the area populated, which in turn “will keep the commercial strip thriving.”
Hartman’s Your Independent Grocer, on the corner of Somerset and Bank streets, is in a situation similar to the Rideau Centre’s.
Owner Larry Hartman has purchased the Somerset Cinema and the adjacent apartment building with the intent to expand the grocery store. Both the cinema and the apartment buildings have heritage status and the city requires that any change to such buildings respect that designation.
Heritage groups say it’s important to maintain as much of the original cinema’s architecture as possible, and Hartman can use it to benefit his expanded grocery store.
“Certainly the heritage community is going to be watching that one,” says Quinn.