Carleton Tavern to be ‘reimagined’ as part of proposed development in Ottawa’s Hintonburg

One of Hintonburg’s oldest buildings will be getting a remake as part of a major development project. CTV’s Dave Charbonneau reports.

The Carleton Tavern is set to receive a makeover as part of a proposal to redevelop the block in Ottawa’s Hintonburg neighbourhood with a 38-storey residential building.

The City of Ottawa has received an Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendment application to permit the construction of a 38-storey mixed-use building with 465 residential units at 340 Parkdale Avenue, between Oxford Street and Armstrong Street.

The site is currently occupied by low-rise buildings, containing retail stores and a warehouse, and the Carleton Tavern on the southeast corner.

An application submitted by Taggart, along with Stantec Consulting Ltd., proposes redeveloping the site with a 38-storey mixed-use residential tower above a six-storey L-shaped podium, featuring 465 new residential units, four levels of underground parking containing 322 parking spaces, and a privately owed public space.

As for the Carleton Tavern, the design brief calls for the Carleton Tavern to be demolished “due to age, structural deterioration, and required sit remediation,” and a ‘reimagined’ Carleton Tavern to be rebuilt “in its original form” with a two-storey building.

“It will be rebuilt in its historic location using high-quality stone and masonry to restore its familiar presence on Parkdale Avenue,” the report said.

“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. This allows for improved activation, increased transparency, and opportunities for public art consistent with the artistic expression historically found on the block.”

The Carleton Tavern has been a popular spot for Ottawa residents for almost 90 years. According to the Carleton Tavern’s website, the “building itself dates even further back to the pioneering days of 1896 when lumberman James William Burnett established a general store on the site.” It opened as the Carleton Hotel in 1935 and was renamed the Carleton Tavern in 1951.

The design brief calls the Carleton Tavern the “massing anchor for the entire development.”

“The geometry of the podium, the open plaza, the courtyard, and even the location of the tower were organized to frame, highlight, and celebrate this rebuilt historical landmark,” said the report.

“The Tavern remains a free-standing building with its own address, identity, and patio overlooking the central courtyard.”

The Carleton Tavern is not currently designated under the Ontario Heritage Act or listed in the city’s Heritage Register. According to a planning rationale report by Taggart and Stantec Consulting, a review by a structural engineer determined, “It would not be feasible to keep the structure in place while excavating under it or to relocate it offsite and then reintegrate it on site.“

“Discomfort in the community”

Coun. Jeff Leiper says since the Carleton Tavern is not a designated Heritage building, Taggart is “within its rights” to propose demolishing the building as part of the development.

“That is, obviously, creating some discomfort in the community. The Carleton is a storied institution in Ottawa,” Leiper told CTV News Ottawa on Monday.

“Generations of people who have worked at Tunney’s Pasture, for instance, have popped in here for after work beers. It is a neighbourhood watering hole; a lot of our community events have been held here in the park, whether that’s theatre, or Christmas dinners or dinners for people. It is a much-beloved institution in Hintonburg.”

Leiper says he has received a lot of comments calling the Carleton Tavern a “special part of Hintonburg.”

“It kind of defines what our neighbourhood is and there’s a strong, romantic attachment to it. People are upset that the developer would propose demolishing it,” Leiper said.

“At the same time, there’s a recognition that we are very, very close here to the Tunney’s Pasture LRT station. We’re in a hub that is designated for redevelopment; very tall, dense buildings.”

Leiper says a “really major” groundwater contamination issue in the Parkdale Block would be “cleaned up” as part of the development.

The building

The plan calls for a mixed-use development consisting of a 38-storey high-rise tower atop a six-storey podium that steps up to eight storeys along Parkdale Avenue.

The six-storey podium will be arranged in an L-shape along Hamilton and Spencer, “with a strong frontage and street-scaled height consistent with neighbouring mid-rise buildings, including the existing eight-storey structure immediately north of the site.”

The 465 residential units will feature 71 studio apartments, 236 one bedrooms, 153 two bedrooms and five three-bedroom apartments.

“In addition to private and communal amenity, an approximately 848 square metre 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.

Leiper is hosting an information session on Feb. 24 at the Hintonburg Community Centre.

According to the proposal summary, the target date for the Official Plan Amendment application to be considered by Ottawa’s planning and housing committee is June 3.

“Taggart’s vision is to address the remediation requirement that has historically inhibited redevelopment of the site and to rebuild the block with purposeful public realm space, meaningful architecture, and desirable uses,” said the report from Stantec Consulting for Taggart Realty Management.

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