Derelict Rockcliffe Park heritage home to be demolished after years of neglect

Michele Hayman, vice president of the Rockcliffe Park Residents Association’s heritage committee, said she was “dismayed” that the historic house “has been so badly neglected for so long that engineering reports and heritage staff say the only option is demolition.”

Published Nov 12, 2023 • Last updated 17 minutes ago • 2 minute read

Committee approves destruction of 98-year-old home Photo by City of Ottawa

A 98-year-old heritage building across from Rideau Hall is set to be demolished after years of sitting vacant, in a case advocates fear sets a precedent for “demolition by neglect.”

The three-storey English country cottage-style building is “the gateway” into the village of Rockcliffe Park, but is full of mould and has sat vacant for years, according to a report before the city’s heritage committee last week.

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Located across the road the Governor General’s home, the building, which has two addresses, 1 Maple Ln. and 1112 Lisgar Rd., has a stucco exterior with half timbering. The city determined the building’s walls and roof were unsalvageable due to extensive water damage, and there are issues with the timber structure and building foundation.

Years of neglect and a lack of maintenance means the vacant building is full of mould, city heritage planner Ashley Kotarba said, with the city issuing property standards orders to address “structural stability, water infiltration, tree hazards and general maintenance of the site.” Those orders went unanswered.

City staff recommended the building be demolished due to its advanced state of disrepair, and the city’s heritage committee approved the building’s demolition.

Michele Hayman, vice-president of the Rockcliffe Park Residents Association’s heritage committee, said she was “dismayed” that the historic house “has been so badly neglected for so long that engineering reports and heritage staff say the only option is demolition.”

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She said the method of “demolition by neglect” is used by some owners and developers to circumvent heritage protections, and the Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation Plan says demolition of this type of building “should only be permitted in extraordinary circumstances, like fire and natural disaster.”

She told the heritage committee she worries their decision will “set a precedent” and encourage other developers to “follow a course of calculated neglect.” Though the city determined the owner isn’t responsible for the years of neglect, Hayman said they are “responsible for ongoing neglect.”

“The system has utterly failed to achieve its stated goal of discouraging demolition by neglect,” she said, noting of the 33 buildings on the city’s heritage watch list, 10 are in Rockcliffe Park.

Kotarba said the current property owner isn’t responsible for the “many years” of neglect to the property, which was in an “advanced state of disrepair” when it was recently purchased.

She acknowledged under the Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District plan, demolition of such buildings is only permitted under “extraordinary circumstances.” But, she noted, the building’s condition is “severe enough that retention is not feasible.”

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While the building’s demolition was approved, the committee deferred approving the plan for a new building on the site until a Dec. 6 council meeting. The new semi-detached home would attempt to emulate the design of the current building, but would be slightly larger.

Built Heritage committee chair Rawlson King, whose ward includes Rockcliffe Park, also directed staff to look into how heritage grant incentives can be used to address demolition by neglect.