Business owners call on city to repeal redevelopment plan for ByWard Market building

A group of business owners in the ByWard Market building wants the city to reverse its plan to redevelop the historic heart of the market.

A coalition of tenants in the historic ByWard Market building are calling on the City of Ottawa to repeal its plan to redevelop the building.

The ByWard Market Building Tenants’ Alliance consists of the owners of 16 businesses in the building, including the ByWard Café, Moulin de Provence, Canada in a Basket, Eclection, and others. It delivered a petition to Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and city councillors on Tuesday saying tenants “vigorously oppose the recommended ‘reimagining’ strategy.”

“We the undersigned tenants urge Ottawa City Council to immediately repeal the ByWard Market Building ‘reimagining’ strategy at the next appropriate City Council meeting. A prompt repeal would mitigate the severe business uncertainty triggered by the City’s proposed ‘reimagining’ strategy and the certain future harm to the ByWard Market caused by the renoviction of the building’s 17 food and craft tenants in order to apply the City staff’s misguided vision for the building,” the petition says.

The ByWard Market revitalization plan was approved by city council in March. The plan includes a $40.2 million project to redevelop the building at 55 ByWard Market Square.

“The historic building will be rehabilitated to feature a bright central hall, space for nostalgic food-based anchor tenants, such as a local specialty grocer and bakery, rotating food and beverage vendors, and flexible event space to support community gatherings, cultural programming, and celebrations,” said a staff report prepared for the March 11 meeting. “Enhancements include skylights, improved circulation, and full accessibility, including a new elevator and universal washrooms.”

City staff say the ByWard Market District Authority (BMDA) administers the master lease agreements for tenants at 55 ByWard Market Square, and that the city would continue to respect existing lease terms, including provisions related to notice, relocation, and termination associated with municipal construction.

BMDA executive director Victoria Williston told CTV News Ottawa in a statement that the city has authority over municipal assets, and the BMDA acts as a landlord.

“The BMDA does not have decision-making authority over future plans for City assets. Our role is that of landlord, and decisions about the properties’ future rest with the City Council and City staff,” she said.

Work on 55 ByWard Market Square is not expected to begin for several years. Staff say redevelopment impacts in the wider ByWard Market are anticipated to commence in 2028, with 70 Clarence Street affected first, followed by York Street Plaza, and 55 ByWard Market Square at a later stage, subject to detailed design, funding, and staging. The timeline was purposefully phased to avoid conflicts with the ByWard Market’s 200th anniversary in 2027.

Tenants say the approved plan is vaguely defined and offers no justification for replacing the current businesses in the building.

Khaled Farhat, owner of the ByWard Café, told CTV News Ottawa he’s worried about being displaced.

“We’ve been here for a long, long time; 28 years. It’s a family-run business. We’ve been through good times, bad times, but, at the end, we’re making a living. It’s our livelihood and we want to keep doing it,” he said.

“If they decide to go through with this, our family income will be gone. And not only me; we have 10 employees.”

Farhat says some of the recent changes to the ByWard Market have been nice, but he hopes the city listens to the business owners and keeps them from having to move out for renovations.

“It should stay the same and if it needs to be fixed, just keep fixing it, and let these people keep making a living here.”

The petition is asking for an immediate meeting between the Tenants’ Alliance, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante to obtain their commitment to seek City Council approval to repeal the ByWard Market Building plan and redirect the $2.7 million earmarked for the redesign of the building toward “more useful and less harmful purposes.”

Tenants also suggest upgrading the public washrooms and improving access to the upper floor.

City council meets Wednesday, followed by a six-week break before the next meeting, which is scheduled for Aug. 26.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Shaun Vardon

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