The city is taking steps to return the heritage designation to the century-old Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park now that it has been relocated as part of the massive redevelopment.
The building, which is an example of a Prairie-style exhibition hall, was constructed in 1914, and was one of a number of buildings put up there as part of its long history as a fairgrounds.
Council repealed the building’s former heritage designation in 2010 to approve its relocation, but committed then to enacting a new heritage designation once the building was relocated and rehabilitated.
The building was moved 140 metres to the east to its new location in 2012 to form the eastern boundary of Aberdeen Square, an open space that will be the site of the Ottawa farmers’ market.
Work on its rehabilitation for integration into Lansdowne Park is underway, according to a planning department report to be considered at Thursday’s built heritage subcommittee meeting.
When completed, the front portion of the building is intended for restaurant uses and the large open interior space will be for community use. An interior entrance to the underground parking garage will be located at the corner of the building.
The Horticulture Building will be returned to its original colour, but because of the softness of the brick and the technical difficulties involved with removing the current cream-coloured paint, it will be painted red, the report says.
The re-designation “signals the city’s commitment to the building and the historic role it has played in Lansdowne Park and the city of Ottawa,” the report concludes.
