The property has been the subject of intense wrangling since it was purchased by developer Ashcroft Homes for $12.7 million, which unveiled its redevelopment plans – which included plans for a 12-storey mixed-use building, a nine-storey hotel and condo building and five-storey seniors residence – alongside architect Roderick Lahey in March.
“This type of panel is the first of its kind in Ottawa and will be part of the efforts we take to ensure that any development of this site respects the site’s heritage and the principles of sound intensification as developed in the community plan,” said Kitchissippi Ward Councillor Christine Leadman, in a statement released by the City of Ottawa on Monday.
Members of the community had voiced concerns over the redevelopment, and in March the city's Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee recommended the entire site become a heritage property.
In April, city council voted to designate the entire property as having heritage value. The designation process means that any proposed new development on the property would require an application under the Ontario Heritage Act and City Council approval.
“The city recognizes the sensitivity of this unique site and its importance to the surrounding community. The panel will help ensure that all reasonable measures are taken to ensure that its historical significance is preserved in a redevelopment proposed by Ashcroft Homes,” added Councillor Peter Hume, chair of the Planning and Environment Committee.
The nuns are set to vacate the property in September.
The three-member panel includes:
David Pontarini, Hariri Pontarini Architects, Toronto
Architect and urban designer, Mr. Pontarini has 25 years experience in complex urban design projects including those with heritage components. He has been a member of the City of Toronto’s Design Review Panel, Preservation Board and is a visiting lecturer at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Architecture and Landscape and Design.
Michael McClelland, Principal, E.R.A. Architects Inc.
With over 20 years of experience in urban design, heritage planning and building conservation, Mr McClelland is also a founding member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP). He has been a member of the Toronto Historical Board, advising on planning, permit and development applications, and on the preservation of City-owned museums and monuments. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 2006.
Greg Smallenberg, Principal, Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg
Mr. Smallenberg has directed a diverse range of widely acclaimed, award-winning projects over the past 20 years, focusing his efforts on design within a context of community and urban design. He is very interested in the intersections of culture, history and place-making as it relates to landscape architecture and urban design. He is a past President of the British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects (BCSLA) and currently sits on the Waterfront Toronto's Design Review Panel.
The Panel will begin work on May 28 and will meet with representatives of the Hampton-Iona and Island Park Community Associations in mid-June, the city said. The panel’s first report will be presented to the city on June 18.
