The National Capital Commission’s search for a tenant for a historic Ottawa River property came up empty on its Jan. 15 deadline, but the hunt continues.
The NCC is still hoping to find an upscale restaurant, spa or arts group to lease the building, but for now, the old mill sits quietly, unused, at 55 Wellington St. The saw mill, used long ago to saw logs that floated down the river, has been at its Chaudière Falls location since the 1840s.
Peter McCourt, the NCC’s real estate management director, says he had to examine why the request for proposals didn’t work, and how to put the property back on the market.
He cites hard economic times as the main reason the property has had problems. Because the building has been gutted and stripped inside, it would take an estimated $1 million to $3 million to restore the building to suit the individual needs, he says.
The NCC has re-examined the property and looked at what could be done to make the property more enticing.
“We’re trying to give people a reason to make a proposal but soften the blow of the economic side of this,” says McCourt. “But from our side, we still want a proposal that’s very attractive.”
Under the new model, developers would propose new offers that would see the NCC cover costs such as fixing windows or contributing a set amount of money towards repairs.
The new request, which McCourt hopes to release by the end of April, “doesn’t make it that rigid a proposition,” he says. Proposals will be reviewed on an individual, case-by-case basis.
Ideally, the group will keep the historic site as an accessible public site rather a dark, closed off building, McCourt says. It may also consider filling the building with its own staff.
The Ottawa Art Gallery was one group that looked into developing the building. Sandy Foote, the gallery’s chair, says the renovation costs held them back.
“It’s a fabulous site,” says Foote. “But it would require a significant investment to bring it up to an art gallery standard.”
With drastic cuts to Ottawa arts funding late last year, many arts groups are struggling to stay on their feet. To sink funds into a new facility seems very unrealistic right now, McCourt says. The mill would need to be renovated for space and climate control if a gallery showing prints and paintings were to reside there. Foote said that would be too costly.
Arts groups could apply for grants from the Cultural Facilities Fund to pay for restoration projects, said Melody Duffenais, clerk of the city’s arts, heritage and culture committee. Last year, the Ottawa Art Gallery received $4,000 from the fund.
Annie Hillis, from Ottawa’s Wellington West Business Improvement Area, thinks the best alternative could be a co-operative that sees different arts groups using part of space with a smaller restaurant or café occupying the rest.
Restaurants or a spa could take the area over, but it’s in everyone’s best interest to have an arts group using the space, Hillis says. Offering the arts groups very low rent could be a potential year-long solution, she says.
“We’re changing the rules here,” said McCourt. “Possibly making an investment ourselves, making the offer wide open again.”
If no suitable offers come in, the NCC will consider its own staff, wait to re-market it, or use more specific marketing, says McCourt. They hope the deal will close and move forward by the end of June.