Parishioners at St. John the Evangelist are planning to make the Anglican church more accessible and inviting with a major redesign of its Elgin and Somerset street facades.
Earlier this year, the congregation created a working group to plan changes to the church’s entrances. Also slated for improvement is the church’s narthex – the lobby area of the structure.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Rev. Beth Bretzlaff, the church’s rector. “I sent the bishop the plans recently and he said it’s long overdue and looks great.”
The red brick church has been on the corner of Elgin and Somerset streets since 1891. It was last renovated in 2009. A new organ and altar were added to the nave – the main part of the church – as part of that project.
In the latest upgrade, a new ramp would be built to lead to the Somerset entrance. The Somerset side has a staircase, but it would be demolished to make way for the ramp.
There’s already a ramp on the Elgin Street side, but people who need help to access the building are worried about being so close to traffic. Cars and ParaTranspo buses have trouble parking in front of the Elgin Street ramp, says Cameron.
The Elgin Street entrance would get a new handrail, according to the planning documents. The staircase will also be lengthened to create a landing outside the door before the steps. Right now, the stairs are narrow and end just a few steps from the sidewalk.
St. John’s could also get a new door if the parish approves the plan. Architecture documents posted on the church website show glass panes in place of the door’s current wood panels.
“These huge, heavy wooden doors kind of close off the world,” says Brian Cameron, leader of the renovation working group. “The idea is making us more accessible and welcoming.”
The church commissioned David S. McRobie Architects to draw up the initial plans. The Sparks Street architecture firm has done design work for Ashbury College and the lobby of the 234 Laurier Ave. office tower.
“It’s an interesting architectural challenge to try and maintain the tradition of church entrances but make them more transparent and more inviting,” says McRobie.
The plans respect the City of Ottawa’s heritage building specifications, says David McRobie, president of the architecture firm. St. John’s is a designated heritage site.
The renovation committee will present its funding plan at a meeting on May 4. The project is expected to cost about $275,000, says Cameron.
The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa has agreed to lend some money to finance the project. St. John’s church will use funds from the sale of its rectory to cover some of the costs. Parishioners have been asked to donate whatever they can to help pay for the renovations. The church also applied for a $15,000 grant from the Anglican Foundation of Canada.
“Everyone’s very excited. People are already doing a little fundraising,” says Bretzlaff.
Previous renovation proposals have failed because of high costs or lack of support within the parish. A recent plan to reconstruct the nave – the main body of the church – never happened because people were opposed to the changes, says Cameron. This time, the parish largely supports the changes, he adds.
The working group hopes to have the project finalized and approved near the end of May. Renovations would begin in July and finish near the end of September.
“It’s something really exciting,” says Cameron. “We feel it’s been a long time coming.”