The Built Heritage Committee today adopted the proposed Heritage Conservation District (HCDs) plans for the ByWard Market and Lowertown West to help conserve cultural heritage resources and manage change within the areas.
The original HCD for the ByWard Market was designated in 1991 and included approximately 145 properties. The Lowertown West HCD was designated in 1994 and included approximately 560 properties. No changes are proposed to the current boundaries of either HCD. Given the variety of buildings and structures within the boundaries of the HCDs, the plans provide some specific direction according to building type and how a property contributes to the cultural heritage value of its HCD.
For the ByWard Market, the plan provides direction to ensure that new development conserves the HCD’s important sense of place by remaining generally low-rise. For the Lowertown West HCD, the plan speaks more broadly about height recognizing the mix of building types and scale and will allow more lower-mid-rise and mid-rise buildings in certain locations where impacts could be mitigated. Both plans place a particular focus on ensuring the conservation of the spires of the former St. Brigid's Church and Notre Dame Basilica.
The HCD plan for Lowertown West acknowledges the larger institutional buildings are facing a wide variety of challenges, often complex – ranging from diminishing congregation sizes, to providing updated and accessible facilities, or finding appropriate new uses that avoid compromising their cultural heritage value and attributes. The City is looking to find creative solutions to help preserve these buildings.
The Committee also recommended that Council issue a Notice of Intention to Designate the Campanile Campus at 1485 and 1495 Heron Road under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
The proposed designation includes 12 buildings arranged around three courtyards and a central quadrangle. The complex was constructed between 1963 and 1966 and was purpose-built as a Catholic educational complex known as “Campanile.” It has design value as a rare and representative example of a campus designed in the Modern style through its visual cohesiveness and its architectural expression including the use of flat roofs, rectilinear forms, rough red brick, smooth concrete, copper details, clerestory windows and limited ornamentation. The complex was also used as a federal training centre and is associated with the growth in the federal public service in the postwar period.
Most of the property is owned by Canada Lands Company and is listed on the Canada Public Land Bank. The proposed designation is associated with a Zoning by-law amendment application that will be considered by Council concurrently with the designation. The amendment will allow the adaptive reuse of the buildings and construction of new mixed-use development that could accommodate approximately 1,100 new residential units and 7,600 square metres of non-residential uses in low to mid-rise buildings while conserving the heritage and attributes of the site. The amendment will be considered by the Planning and Housing Committee on October 23.
Items from today’s meeting will rise to Council on Wednesday, October 16 with the exception of 1495 Heron Road which will rise on October 30.
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