Somerset House [352 Somerset St] | 15m | 4f | U/C

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by clayface

out of pure curiosity - would people be opposed to the idea of a totally new building next door to what's currently existing? Curious if it'd be possible to open two separate buildings and double up on tenancy...

A huge contrast almost respects the heritage of the beautiful brick more than trying to imitate it - IMO

Agreed.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by clayface

out of pure curiosity - would people be opposed to the idea of a totally new building next door to what's currently existing? Curious if it'd be possible to open two separate buildings and double up on tenancy...

A huge contrast almost respects the heritage of the beautiful brick more than trying to imitate it - IMO

Other than a gap between the two buildings, how would that differ significantly from what is being proposed?

[clayface]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Other than a gap between the two buildings, how would that differ significantly from what is being proposed?

I believe the one proposed is considered all one structure; I could be wrong though. However, the new addition replicates the column details of the existing building and the window lintels.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by clayface

I believe the one proposed is considered all one structure; I could be wrong though. However, the new addition replicates the column details of the existing building and the window lintels.

Yes. So the only significant difference would be the gap between two structures vs the proposed single structure with the the new/rebuild sections clearly visible. I'm not sure I see the point.

[J.OT13]

City royaly fucked up.

SOMERSET HOUSE REDESIGN ABANDONS BRICK FACADE REPLICA AFTER STAFF ERROR

Friday, April 7, 2017
CBC NEWS OTTAWA, By Paul Jay

If a proposed addition to Ottawa's historic Somerset House doesn't look quite like the original red brick facade the city tore down last summer, there appears to be a very good reason for that. Someone forgot to tell the architect.

When Ottawa's built heritage subcommittee and city council last summer approved the partial demolition of the building, the order included the demolition of the building's fourth bay. A bay is a section of a building separated by columns or other vertical lines.

But a requirement was put in: any plan to alter or add to the property would have to reconstruct the facade of that fourth bay with the old bricks from the 1899 building, or — if it wasn't possible with those materials — with replica materials.

In other words, that section of the building should, if possible, look like the three remaining bays. When images of the proposed redesign were released two weeks ago, the replica fourth bay was conspicuously absent, and Heritage Ottawa president David Jeanes was not impressed.
"City council had actually directed that when that wall came down, the bricks were to be saved, and an exact replica was to go back in its place when the building was reconstructed," Jeanes told Ottawa Morning. "And instead we see a glass wall where that one quarter of the original building was supposed to be replaced."

Now we know why.

In the report released Thursday ahead of next week's built heritage subcommittee, staff say heritage staff simply forgot.

"On November 30, 2016, heritage staff met with the recently-hired project architect to discuss a design option for the addition to the building. Staff, having failed to remember the requirement added by [the subcommittee] and approved by Council with respect to the construction of a replica fourth bay, supported in principle the concept presented, which did not include the construction of the replica fourth bay," the report says.

"Once this error was recognized, it was determined that the best way to move the project forward would be to proceed with the proposal without the replica wall, as this approach represents a reasonable means of achieving compatibility with the existing heritage structure and the heritage conservation district through proportion, scale and massing and materials."

City staff are recommending the project get the go-ahead and to scrap the original recommendation to build the replica bay.

In their comments to the report, Heritage Ottawa said they didn't want to give up on that requirement, even if staff was.

"We strongly believe that this should be done and incorporated into the proposed facade, and that a glass connector not replace those bays," they wrote.

COUNCILLOR EAGER TO 'FINALLY MOVE FORWARD'

In her comments Somerset Ward Coun. Catherine McKenney noted that although the proposed design was not a full heritage restoration, she thought it did a fair job of reflecting the heritage elements of the property.

"If this is the design which will enable us to finally move forward with this project and allow the construction of a completed building on the lot, then I see this as a worthwhile initiative," she wrote.

The plans would represent the first real signs of development on the part of the building's owner in nearly a decade.

PARTIAL COLLAPSE IN 2007

The city and the building's owner, Tony Shahrasebi, have been in a decade-long battle since 2007, when Somerset House partially collapsed.

When the owner didn't fix the building, the city stepped in and later billed his company, TKS Holdings. That led to a protracted legal battle between the two that ended in 2012 with the company paying the city $650,000.

Soon after, the owner proposed a plan to have part of the building restored and part replaced with glass, but those plans did not materialize.

Last July, the city agreed to let the owner tear down the four eastern-most bays of the building after engineer's reports suggested it could not be restored and was unsafe.

The original corner building of Somerset House was built in 1899 and has served as a dry goods store, a hotel and, more recently, the Duke of Somerset pub. The eastern wing of the building was added in the early 1900s.

https://heritageottawa.org/news/some...er-staff-error

Considering it was the City's fuck-up, we really do need to just give the guy a break and approve the current design, which really is pretty decent. If we demand something that was never even an official requirement, we risk facing further legal action and another few years of inaction. Even in the best case scenario where the owner agrees, it could still be another year before a new design is submitted.

If we don't approve this now, I don't foresee a future with Somerset House on that corner.

[kwoldtimer]

Current design, but using the original brick that was supposed to be saved, should be sufficient. The portion of the building facade that will be new should be distinguishable from the preserved portion, imho.

[rocketphish]

Plans for Somerset House heritage don't include replica of demolished wall
An ‘oops’ by city staff mean the heritage building is getting some modern glass on its north-east corner.

By: Haley Ritchie, Metro
Published on Sun Apr 09 2017



The saga of Somerset House on Bank Street continues at City Hall this week, but a mistake by heritage staff means a wall of modern glass instead of heritage replica brick.

The red brick building at 352 Somerset Street West was constructed in 1900, but a wall collapses in 2007 has left the building vacant and crumbling.

In 2016, council reluctantly approved demolition of a section of the building’s north facade, with the condition that a replica be built in it’s place.

But the new renderings by the project’s architect don’t follow that direction – because the city’s heritage staff forgot about it.

“Once this error was recognized, it was determined that the best way to move the project forward would be to proceed with the proposal without the replica wall,” reads the report going to heritage committee on Thursday.

The design does include heritage restoration for the remaining original walls, and an ornamental turret, but the north-east corner includes open glass instead of replica brick.

In their submitted comments, Heritage Ottawa expressed disappointed with the unexpected changes, but ward Coun. Catherine McKenney wants to move forward.

“It is our understanding that it was a condition of permitting the demolition of the brick wall and bays along Somerset last year that the brick and bays be rebuilt to match what was there originally,” read the Heritage Ottawa comments in the report. “We strongly believe that this should be done and incorporated into the proposed façade, and that a glass connector not replace those bays.”

“If this is the design which will enable us to finally move forward with this project and allow the construction of a completed building on the lot, then I see this as a worthwhile initiative,” reads the comment by McKenney.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/...e-replica.html

[AndyMEng]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Plans for Somerset House heritage don't include replica of demolished wall
An ‘oops’ by city staff mean the heritage building is getting some modern glass on its north-east corner.

By: Haley Ritchie, Metro
Published on Sun Apr 09 2017




http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/...e-replica.html

I don't understand... looks to me like the walls in the back are mostly a replica of the originals? The brick colour is the same, I guess that's a thing.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good heritage building, but sometimes keeping something around doesn't make sense. The actual corner of Bank/Somerset is a great building, but the box behind doesn't matter. Let the developer do a fantastic job restoring the corner to it's glory: turret, bays, masonry details, parapets, and then let him do whatever he wants at the back, so long as it meets the current size and use for the neighborhood.

And keeping a facade is not always a good way to maintain 'heritage'. The heritage is on the inside, where people actually lived and worked.

[kwoldtimer]

As shown in the latest render, I think the project is fine, although I'm still curious as to whether the new portion will incorporate the brick that Heritage Ottawa says the developer was supposed to have saved at the time of demolition.

[HighwayStar]

A little further down Bank (at Gladstone) the following "brick facade" was heritaged in to the new construction:

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4120...7i13312!8i6656

Does anyone see any sort of aesthetic value in this?? I think it just looks out of place and plain silly... not to mention the dark and foreboding street level on Bank.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by HighwayStar

A little further down Bank (at Gladstone) the following "brick facade" was heritaged in to the new construction:

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4120...7i13312!8i6656

Does anyone see any sort of aesthetic value in this?? I think it just looks out of place and plain silly... not to mention the dark and foreboding street level on Bank.

It looks better than I thought it would. I can't see any heritage value but it does provide some variety from the typical glass only condo.

[mykl]

I swear I'd be happiest if this location was just turned into a concrete slab with the word "oops" carved into it and no one ever talked about it again. Idiots on all sides of this project.

[AndyMEng]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

As shown in the latest render, I think the project is fine, although I'm still curious as to whether the new portion will incorporate the brick that Heritage Ottawa says the developer was supposed to have saved at the time of demolition.

What exactly will we be accomplishing by saving, cleaning, and reinstating the existing bricks, rather than just using brick of the same colour and dimension?

I know I'm turning this into a philosophical conversation about heritage but...

I don't understand why we can't just get by with asking architects to justify the match to the neighborhood 'feel' using the guidelines already presented. I'm thinking across the river next to Terrasses (the new-old row of businesses at the podium to the curved glass tower). Or at Urban Outfitters building over on Rideau. These are definitely not 'heritage' or made from any sort of 'heritage' bricks, but the masonry sure does look good in the neighbourhood.


https://www.primecorp.ca/media/catal...on_edit_sm.jpg


https://brickworks-media-production...._store-146.jpg

Like I stated before, all the heritage is on the inside anyways, which is already long-lost.

[kwoldtimer]

I honestly don't care now that the renders make clear that the addition will be red brick, but Heritage Ottawa claims (I think) that the developer committed to saving and re-using the original brick. If that is accurate, and given the tortured history of this project, one wants to know more.

As I indicated earlier, I prefer that the addition NOT mimic the restored heritage facade - I prefer the clear distinction between old and new that is seen in the new render.

[rocketphish]

Heritage panel OKs another design for Somerset House, with no timeline in sight

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 13, 2017 | Last Updated: April 13, 2017 11:54 AM EDT



The latest renovation concept for the historic Somerset House received approval from the city’s heritage panel Thursday, but members walked away, again, with no indication of when the work would be done.

“Maybe our grandchildren will be here discussing this,” said subcommittee member Sandy Smallwood during a built-heritage subcommittee meeting at city hall.

There’s no rule forcing TKS Holdings to reconstruct the building at Somerset and Bank streets by a specific time. The company owner has said he’s worried about how much the redevelopment would cost.

The city has watched the building deteriorate over the past nine years, ever since a partial collapse in October 2007. Last year, council had to approve dismantling the three easternmost bays on Somerset Street West because of the wear and tear.

The heritage subcommittee, planning committee and council have little power to make construction happen. They can only make sure the heritage attributes are respected and the building conforms to zoning.

The owner has hired a new architect, Chmiel Architects, to pick up where the last one left off.

For the most part, the subcommittee was fine with the latest drawings. The planning committee and council will also need to approve the concept.

The one hiccup was the new design doesn’t replicate the demolished fourth bay on Somerset Street West, as required by council. City heritage staff forgot about that order when they supported the new design, and when they realized the mistake, they decided to forge ahead with the concept anyway.

That didn’t fly with the heritage subcommittee, which asked the architect to fix it. Architect Richard Chmiel, who was hired for the project in December and didn’t know about the council direction, said he would be willing to revisit the design to make sure it conforms to council’s wishes.

“We all make mistakes and at this stage we really need to move forward,” said Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Tobi Nussbaum, the chair of the subcommittee.

Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney said she receives more calls about Somerset House than any other project in her downtown ward.

“Residents of Somerset ward and beyond are frustrated by this project,” McKenney said.

McKenney repeated her idea for the city to expropriate the property, “because at some point we have to take matters into our own hands.”

Heritage Ottawa president David Jeanes said he doesn’t understand why the fourth-bay requirement wasn’t met in the new design. He openly wondered if the heritage department is understaffed and overloaded, considering its ongoing work on the mayor’s heritage task force and other projects, like the proposed Château Laurier development.

The subcommittee learned the city recently hired two additional heritage planners.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...eline-in-sight

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I honestly don't care now that the renders make clear that the addition will be red brick, but Heritage Ottawa claims (I think) that the developer committed to saving and re-using the original brick. If that is accurate, and given the tortured history of this project, one wants to know more.

As I indicated earlier, I prefer that the addition NOT mimic the restored heritage facade - I prefer the clear distinction between old and new that is seen in the new render.

Owner didn't commit to anything. Council asked for it, City staff forgot to add it to the report, owner's off the hook. All that can be done now is save what's left and build a brand new addition.

[kevinbottawa]

City hall is starting to feel optimistic again about Somerset House

Jon WillingJON WILLING
More from Jon Willing
Published on: October 16, 2017 | Last Updated: October 16, 2017 12:53 PM EDT

The last time there was optimism about the future of Somerset House was in 2013 when the owner had a new design and council was giddy about the project.

Finally, everyone thought, there would be life again at the historic building in the heart of Centretown.

It’s been a big letdown since then.

The owner, TKS Holdings, uncovered more expensive work that was necessary to retain the old structure at Somerset and Bank streets. Council had little choice but to approve the demolition of some bays along Somerset Street because that part of the wall was badly deteriorated.

Earlier this year, the city signed off on an altered development proposal under the oversight of the latest project architect, Chmiel Architects.

Exterior work has been quiet, so it’s hard for the public to know if there has been any progress on repairing the heritage structure and building a modern addition.

The city, however, sees a reason to be upbeat.

Under the design guidance of Chmiel, this is the closest to getting a building permit the project has ever come. There have been pre-permit meetings between the architect, engineer and the city’s building code team, according to the city.

The built heritage subcommittee on Monday heard from heritage staff that Chmiel is dedicated to the project and that’s good news for the pace of development.

The other bit of good news is a realtor is actively looking for people interested in leasing space at Somerset House.

The heritage permit for alterations to the building expires in 2019, so there’s plenty of breathing room for the owner.

Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney, who has wanted the city to expropriate the land, also sees some optimism.

“Residents have been asking about this for just over 10 years now and more and more anxiously,” McKenney said.

The building, which dates back to 1900, has been off-limits since a partial collapse in October 2007.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...somerset-house

[rocketphish]

Stalled Somerset House reno a 'disgrace,' Mayor Watson says

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 25, 2018 | Last Updated: April 25, 2018 12:35 PM EDT



The questionable stability of a stone wall in the historic Somerset House is the latest redevelopment challenge at the beat-up downtown building as Mayor Jim Watson stews over the lack of progress.

“I’ve certainly let (the owner) know my displeasure that it’s basically a dump right now. You’ve got the excavation at the back and the windows are shattered on the front and there’s posters put up on the wood casings,” Watson said Wednesday at city hall, answering questions on heritage-related topics when Somerset House came up.

“I don’t know how this guy holds his head up high living in this city with this massive eyesore that he’s really done nothing on and he really keeps dragging us down these paths that there’s never a conclusion. I’m hoping that he’s found a tenant and I’m hoping he’s got his act together because this thing has been an eyesore for a long time and it’s really a disgrace.”

Council approved an updated restoration plan for Somerset House, at Somerset and Bank streets, on May 10, 2017. Looking from outside of the building, there doesn’t appear to be any work happening.

Tony Shahrasebi, the property owner, said his architect and engineers are working on a new challenge in the basement of the building. The old stone wall along Somerset Street needs to be supported since there’s gravel fill under the road that could impact work on the wall, according to Shahrasebi. He said his construction team will be submitting drawings to the city for approval.

As for possible tenants, Shahrasebi suggested there will be more interest when work progresses.

“People are looking at it,” he said. “People will come forward when we see some action.”

More than 10 years have passed since a partial collapse of the building, which was once home to the Duke of Somerset pub. There have been legal disputes, partial demolitions and multiple redevelopment plans. The building, which dates back to 1899, has heritage protection, so anything the owner wants to do must be approved by the city, which doesn’t want the entire building torn down.

Watson said he doesn’t understand the business model behind keeping buildings like Somerset House vacant.

Shahrasebi figures he has swallowed about $15 million on the property from construction costs, legal costs and lost income. The bills aren’t deterring him from trudging on with the redevelopment. He still has no interest in selling the land.

The city established a “heritage matters” task force in 2016, partly in response to the Somerset House debacle.

Watson, who sits on the task force, said the city might have to offer more financial help to owners of heritage buildings, but it depends on the circumstances.

“We’ve seen too many buildings that have been torn down because of neglect,” Watson said. “In some instances, it’s because of lack of funding from the people who own the building to the work. In other cases, I think it’s just malicious on the part of the building owner that they just want it to deteriorate so we have no choice by to demolish it.”

In a separate heritage matter, Watson said he supports the recommended demolition of the old Lester B. Pearson home at 231 Cobourg St. in a Sandy Hill heritage district. The Ugandan High Commission wants to replace the derelict building with a new one on the property.

Council will vote on the proposal May 9.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...or-watson-says

[Richard Eade]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Stalled Somerset House reno a 'disgrace,' Mayor Watson says

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 25, 2018 | Last Updated: April 25, 2018 12:35 PM EDT

.... The Ugandan High Commission wants to replace the derelict building with a new one on the property. ...
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...or-watson-says

Oh, goody. They are replacing one derelict building with another derelict building.

The loss of proper editors has really accelerated a decline in the quality of the 'news' writing.

[Uhuniau]

Mayor Quimby opines on a long-standing sore point that has persisted for the entirety of his two terms in office.

In unrelated news, 2018 is a municipal election year.