For nearly a century, the Carleton Tavern has been more than just a neighbourhood bar. It’s been a landmark at the corner of Parkdale Avenue and Armstrong Street where people have watched sports games, eaten Christmas dinner, and shared stories over a pint or two.
Now, that chapter may be coming to an end.
The City of Ottawa has received an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application from Taggart Realty Management to build a 38-storey mixed-use building next to the historic watering hole that would house 465 residential units. It features a six-storey L-shaped podium that would be built around the tavern.
The bar would also come down due to its “age, structural deterioration, and required site remediation,” said a city report. In its place, a “reimagined” Tavern building would be erected “using high-quality stone and masonry to restore its familiar presence.”
“The new Tavern will re-establish the prominent corner façade, while the northern portion, originally a simple stucco volume with limited openings, will be reimagined as a contemporary extension,” read the report. “This allows for improved activation, increased transparency, and opportunities for public art consistent with the artistic expression historically found on the block.”
The news has been unsettling in the community, with some social media users commenting on how the historic block adds character to the neighborhood; it houses a bike shop, café, fitness centre, and the Mino’Wessini branch of the Parkdale Food Centre.
Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper says he has tried over the years to have the Carleton Tavern designated a heritage property but never had any luck. He said it’s one of the last remaining original taverns from Ottawa’s past, which includes the Prescott in Little Italy and the Lafayette in the ByWard Market.
Despite being a storied landmark in the neighbourhood, Leiper told KT the developer is within its rights to bulldoze the building. During pre-application consultation, city heritage staff confirmed they would not recommend that city council add the Carleton Tavern to the city’s Heritage Register or designate it as a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act.
“By demolishing it, we’re going to be able to deal across the entire site with the groundwater contamination issue that residents have probably heard a lot about over the past many years,” said Leiper. “There has been a very slow effort undertaken by Honeywell to slowly filter the pollutants out, but by completely excavating the whole thing, they’ll be able to finally eliminate the groundwater contamination. That is a big factor to consider when considering whether or not to support this proposal.”
Over a decade ago, the Ontario Land Tribunal approved an 18-storey development for the property, which would have excluded the Carleton Tavern. While he has heard some concerns over the increased tower height since then, he argues it won’t make a large difference at street level.
Under Ottawa’s Official Plan, the Scott-Parkdale-Wellington-Holland area is identified as a hub intended to accommodate significant height and density due to its proximity to the light rail transit network.
In the design brief, the applicants said the surrounding neighbourhood is “highly walkable” and “transit-supported,” adding that the project would “meaningfully contribute to Ottawa’s housing supply by introducing a substantial number of new units in a range of sizes suited to diverse household needs.”
“It’s not something that I’m pushing back at,” noted Leiper, who’s also chair of the city’s planning committee.
“I think overall, the proposal is one that certainly meets with our vision for how hubs close to transit are going to develop,” Leiper added. “And while I know it’s going to be controversial, you know, I anticipate that I will be supporting it.”
The Kitchissippi councillor also sees it as an opportunity to close a section of Armstrong between Parkdale and Hamilton to “blend in” with the Parkdale Market next door.
As part of the plans, “approximately 848 square metres of Privately-Owned Public-Use space (POPs) is also proposed at grade in the form of a central courtyard and breezeway pedestrian paths, providing a mid-block connection,” the report said.
But whether or not the Carleton Tavern itself returns remains an open question.
“I think everyone would like to see that the Carleton Tavern is able to move back in,” Leiper said. “And one of the concerns I have is just to make sure that Taggart is reasonable in their lease expectations so that it has the ability to move in.”