HERITAGE OTTAWA

On Saturday, July 22 the historic City Registry Office, a designated heritage building constructed in 1873-74 and located at 70 Nicholas Street, is scheduled to be moved 18m to the north of its current location, where it will be permanently placed and integrated into a new mixed-use development. The building is now fully disengaged from its original foundations and independently supported in preparation for the move. 

On completion of the development, the City Registry Office will be adapted to a new use, allowing public access to the building for the first time in 35 years.

Heritage Ottawa has been advocating for decades for the preservation and adaptive resuse of this historic gem, vacant since 1980. 

UPDATE:  March 7, 2022

At a Public Information Session hosted by Councillor Mathieu Fleury on March 1, 2022, there were no details presented on how the historic Registry Office would be moved some 10 metres to the north of the property to allow for its integration into the proposed development. That information will be submitted with the Heritage Permit application at a later date.

The heritage consultant on the project presented two possible scenarios: raising and moving the building or dismantling the building and reconstructing it. 

Heritage Ottawa is strongly opposed to the dismantling and reconstruction of the Registry Office. It would adversely impact the building's heritage designation and would seriously compromise its historic integrity. 

BACKGROUND

Cadillac Fairview, the owner of the Rideau Centre, has submitted Zoning Bylaw Amendment and Site Plan Control applications to the City for a 21-storey, mixed-use building at 70 Nicholas Street, the site of the historic City of Ottawa Registry Office.

Constructed in 1874, the Registry Office forms part of the Judicial District, a cluster of heritage buildings that includes the former Carleton County Courthouse and Gaol, and the Albion Hotel, all designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

The purpose of the applications is to accommodate the development of a high-rise mixed-use building consisting of 280 apartments above 230 square metres of at-grade retail space that will include a new two-level, 102-space underground parking garage.

The development proposes to relocate the City Registry Office further north on the site to integrate it into the base of the new development.

Although not a large building, the Registry Office, with its classical temple massing and solid brick and stone construction, commands attention. The building has high architectural integrity. Its fireproof construction methods, including interior brick vaults, cast-iron window fittings, and thick stone floors designed to protect land records reflect the sanctity of land ownership.

VACANT SINCE 1980 

Heritage Ottawa has been advocating for the preservation of the Registry Office — vacant since 1980 — for decades, which has included finding a viable new use for the heritage building at its current location.

Although the development proposal calls for moving the heritage building further north on the property, its relocation would keep it firmly within its historic context as part the Judicial District. 

“This approach is more that just façadism,” states David Flemming, chair of HO’s Advocacy Committee. “The building in its entirety is being preserved. However, there needs to be thoughtful consideration on how the move will be done so the building and its heritage components are protected while the underground garage work is done and the structure is integrated into the new atrium.”

An extensive Cultural Heritage Impact Statement, prepared by Commonwealth Historic Resource Management and Barry Padolsky Associates Inc., addresses the impacts of the proposal on the cultural heritage values associated with the Registry Office and the Judicial District (see chapter 5) and assesses possible alternatives and mitigating strategies (see chapter 6). In the end, the study concludes that, although there remain a number of details to be determined and refined, “the proposal is compatible with the heritage resource and its conservation.”

The City’s Planning Committee will be considering the Zoning Bylaw Amendment application in February 2022 and the Site Plan Control application will follow, after review and recommendations from the Built Heritage Sub-Committee and Planning Committee.

Read the Cultural Heritage Impact Statement HERE.
View design plans and other relevant documents HERE.

Related Reading: Historic City Registry Office to Gain New Life as Bistro as Part of Residential Development | Ottawa Citizen, December 6, 2022

For more about the building's history, see Heritage Ottawa — 50 Years | 50 Stories: City Registry Office