Doomed Lowertown homes not free for the taking, says Claridge
By Laura ARMSTRONG, OTTAWA CITIZEN September 10, 2013 6:01 PM
OTTAWA — Four century-old workers cottages in Lowertown set to be demolished in October to make room for a new development are not being offered for free to anyone with the means to move them, according to site developer Claridge Homes.
Shawn Malhotra, one of the developer’s vice presidents, said he is confused by reports saying anyone can claim the historic cottages as long as they have the money, time and equipment to move the buildings from their current location near Bruyère Street and King Edward Avenue.
Malhotra said he spoke with Lowertown Community Association acting president Marc Aubin about moving one of the cottages a year or two ago, during the approval phase for the incoming five-story, 101-unit WaterStreet development.
“When we were going through our site plan with the city, we obviously spoke to the Lowertown Community Association and we had one of the members there, who does quite a bit of work with the heritage committee, ask if he was able to put together something to move one of the houses, would we let him? I said yes, but I said obviously there’s a timeline on it and you’ve got to give me an answer,” said Malhotra.
A post on Heritage Ottawa’s website that says Claridge Homes has offered up all of the four building for free is misconstrued, said Malhotra. Heritage Ottawa’s president Leslie Maitland said the organization was helping the Lowertown Community Association by sharing the post on their website, but had no involvement with Claridge Homes. Maitland said if the information was wrong, it would be removed from their website.
Calls and emails for comment from the Lowertown Community Association were not immediately returned.
Being open to the possibility of moving one of the cottages was a way to help the Lowertown Community Association out, said Malhotra. He said he would speak to someone from the public if they were to approach him about moving one of the cottages with their own time and on their own dollar but Claridge is not going out of their way to promote the fact that they’re discussing the option with Aubin.
“It’s not available to the public, per se, we’re just trying to help the Lowertown Community Association out.”
A total of 20 rental units are scheduled to be demolished beginning Oct. 1 to make room for WaterStreet, Claridge’s T-shaped, five-storey building on Bruyère Street just east of Rose Street.
Residents and neighbours objected to the plan, saying tenants — some of them elderly, lifelong residents — would have trouble finding other affordable housing. There were also concerns about the size of the project.
The tenants living in the existing units are scheduled to be out by October, Malhotra said, at which time Claridge will either go through demolition or a moving process. Excavation will begin in November, he said.
Malhotra said one of the four cottages might be moved, although he didn’t know which one. Logistically, he said, it’s a lot of work to move houses and the Lowertown Community Association would have to find somewhere to put the building
“It’s not as easy as just picking up a house and moving it. If somebody was to call we would talk to them but in general it’s probably not going to happen.”
With files from Meghan Hurley
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