HERITAGE OTTAWA, By Leslie Maitland
The Medical Arts Building has passed the first hurdle towards designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. At yesterday's meeting of the Built Heritage Sub-Committee at City Hall, the Committee voted unanimously to recommend designation of the building as proposed by a city staff report.
The Medical Arts Building, designed by architect Werner Ernst Noffke in 1928, is an outstanding example of the Art Deco style, and a rare example of Art Deco in Ottawa. Located at 180 Metcalfe Sreet, the building is a significant landmark in the city's Centretown district. The building is featured on the cover of author Shannon Ricketts' Werner Ernst Noffke: Ottawa's Architect, published by Heritage Ottawa in 2013.
The proposal is to designate only the exterior of the building, as nothing of the original interior remains. The building's owner, Mr. John Toth, does not object to the proposed designation. He plans to incorporate the original building into a new, mixed use complex which would situate a taller structure in the rear parking lot, requiring the demolition of a small portion of the rear of the original building. The owner is a supporter of heritage structures in Ottawa, and also owns the Mercury Building on Dalhousie Street.
Next stop: Planning Committee on June 23rd, where that committee will be asked to consider both the proposed designation and the proposed addition, and to provide its recommendations to Ottawa City Council, which has the final say. Consideration of both issues at the same time is a good move to help streamline planning and heritage conservation, of which Heritage Ottawa approves.
Click the PDF links below to read the City Staff Report, and Heritage Ottawa's submission to Built Heritage Sub-Committee regarding the proposed designation of The Medical Arts Building.
For more information about Noffke and "Werner Ernst Noffke: Ottawa's Architect", click here.
UPDATE: The Medical Arts Building was formally designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in July, 2015.
