City council has approved the immediate demolition of the Ogilvy Building, a heritage site, to allow it to become part of an expanded Rideau Centre.
The council had already given the green light for the demolition in 2006 but the conditions prevented construction to start until a full site plan was submitted by Cadillac Fairview, the shopping centre’s owners. Acting on a planning committee recommendation, city council agreed to modify those conditions so that the dismantling could start almost immediately.
The full site plan is not expected for another few months.
“If we were to wait until the process is concluded, not only would we have subjected the building to another winter, but any process to refurbish or renew that heritage building could not continue until that site plan had been approved,” said Coun. Peter Hume, chair of the planning committee.
Hume added he believed that delaying the demolition would jeopardize the developer’s $250-million expansion plan.
The five-storey building will be demolished but parts of the facade on Rideau Street and Nicholas Street will be preserved. It will be stored until it can be incorporated into the new building.
“The plan is to dismantle all the elements in the first three storeys and a portion of the facade,” architect Barry Padolsky told the planning committee.
City council approved dismantling the facade despite objections of members of Heritage Ottawa.
David Jeanes, an urban activist, told the planning committee the dismantling of the facade would not be enough to save the building. “We are really only saving one third of the facade, we are not preserving it,” he said.
Hume said the decision to tear down the building had been made, so dismantling part of the facade was the only way to save it.
The Ogilvy Building, at 126 Rideau St., was built in 1907 as a department store and has been out of use for 20 years.
The demolition is the first step of the Rideau Centre expansion expected to be completed in 2015.
American retailer Nordstrom confirmed it will be a tenant in the mall. Clothing chain H&M is also expected to open an outlet.