HERITAGE OTTAWA

A longstanding dispute between the owner of Barrymore’s Nightclub and his landlord is calling attention to yet another local example of demolition by neglect.

The former Imperial Theatre at 323 Bank Street opened to acclaim in 1914 as an elegant silent movie palace. Over the years, the landmark building saw a variety of other uses before opening as Barrymore’s in 1978, where during the 1980s it played host to major acts  including U2, Radiohead and REM.

The building has deteriorated significantly since its glory days.

On January 25, Barrymore’s owner George Syriannis was locked out of the building after a series of longstanding disagreements with the building owner over maintenance and repair issues, and resulting safety concerns.

Last week, Syriannis succeeded in re-entering the nightclub to allow access to a city property-standards inspector. The city inspection report is expected in a few weeks.

Syriannis told the Ottawa Citizen that the owner, whose family has owned the building since the 1970s, has allegedly been neglecting important repairs and maintenance for some time. An engineer’s report in 2013 listed several “life-safety” concerns that required attention. By 2017 only one of those issues — the replacement of the rear fire-escape stairs—had been completed.

The building is located in the Centretown Heritage Conservation District (HCD). Its exterior is therefore protected under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act.  Protection of any interior features would require passage of an individual building designation under Part IV of the Act, and a determination of which, if any, interior features are of sufficient cultural heritage value to be included in the designation.

Barrymore’s has been closed to the public since March 2020 due to COVID-19.

“Barrymore’s is a fixture of downtown Bank Street,” wrote Coun. Catherine McKenney in an email to the Citizen earlier this month.  “I don’t want to see the loss of this important music venue as a result of the pandemic or neglect.”

Heritage Ottawa has spent years advocating against "demolition by neglect", a major issue in the preservation of heritage properties. The City of Ottawa passed a Property Standards By-Law in 2013 which includes specific protection for heritage properties suffering neglect. Heritage Ottawa will continue to advocated for the enforcement of this By-Law.

Related Reading:

Barrymore's sage takes dramatic turn as club owner reoccupies building | Ottawa Citizen, February 20, 2021

Barrymore's owner locked out in dispute over heat, jeopardizing storied venue's future | Ottawa Citizen, February 8, 2021