The building at Carling and LeBreton that once housed the Federal District Commission, a forerunner of the National Capital Commission, was demolished earlier this month.
Early April brought dust clouds to the corner of Carling Avenue and LeBreton Street as demolition began on a long-vacant building that once housed offices of a forerunner of the National Capital Commission.
The building was formerly occupied by the Federal District Commission, which evolved into the NCC in 1959. It sat on a large property owned Public Works and Government Services Canada that is expected to be sold for commercial development.
Built in 1930, the low-slung building was headquarters for the FDC’s beautification projects for 32 years in the mid-20th century. During that time, the FDC carried out work on the Champlain Bridge, the National War Memorial, and Confederation Square.
The building, located at 401 LeBreton St., had been considered for a heritage designation in the late 1990s because of its historical significance and architectural style, representative of government buildings constructed in the 1930s. At the time of the heritage study, the Federal Heritage Building Review Office praised the former FDC site for its classic design and attractive landscaping.
But by 2000, the federal government was planning to demolish the building and had begun looking for a potential buyer to develop the site.
“There is a lot of interest in this site, more so than usual,’’ a Public Works official told the Ottawa Citizen at the time.
In a January 2000 interview, Ashcroft Homes president David Choo said his company was keen to acquire the land at Carling and LeBreton for a major residential development.
“I would love to buy the site and so would countless others,’’ Choo said at the time. “It offers a fair bit of commercial vision. These are urban sites where you can paint your own canvas. I see it primarily as a residential site. This land has such a high profile that I could see developing condo apartments with 10-foot ceilings, 1,600 square feet and starting prices of $300,000. This is a very central location and the upper floors would have a view of Dow’s Lake.’’
Public Works spokeswoman, Nathalie Bétoyé Akwa said the federal department is still exploring "all possible options for the disposition and future use" of the former FDC headquarters.
"The building is being demolished because it is in poor physical condition," she said. "Although the heritage value of the building has been recognized it is uneconomical to repair the facility for use consistent with government policy requirements."
She added: "The value of the building will be protected through heritage recording documentation in accordance with policy, which includes photos, record drawings and narrative."
Local resident Rebecca Keen says she "kind of liked the old building. Now it’s just a big empty hole.”
The building had been vacant since 1999. The 81-year-old structure had become marred by rust, graffiti and debris over the last 12 years, and a 2004 Citizen article listed it among the city’s worst eyesores.
Now, all that remains is a pile of rubble and broken glass.
“There’s a finite amount of space in Ottawa,” says Katie Nenych, another local resident. “If nobody cares about this building, then go ahead.