Pews to be removed from historic Ottawa Lowertown church to create event space

St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts in Ottawa's Lowertown neighbourhood on Tuesday, Oct. 29. (Andrew Adlington/CTV News Ottawa)

The pews will be removed from the historic St. Brigid's Church in Ottawa's Lowertown neighbourhood to help create a new 500-person space for weddings and events.

Ottawa's Built Heritage Committee approved an application to alter St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts to remove the ground floor pews to open a "flexible multi-purpose event space."   The remaining pews will be removed from the ground floor, and a new hardwood floor will be installed.

Under the plan, the new event space will help St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts raise funds to address a "growing heritage infrastructure deficit."

The Irish community of Ottawa says St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts is a gathering place for residents.

"The Ottawa Irish community wish to see this important cultural and architectural landmark preserved for education, enjoyment and business use where these activities increase the viability of the building's long-term future," Craig Hamm, founding member of Irish Communities of Ottawa.

"The member organizations of Irish Communities of Ottawa will benefit greatly."

Hamm says it's a great building, but the current set up with the pews provides "no flexibility" for events.

St. Brigid's Church was built in 1889-1890 and was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1981. The Archdiocese closed the church in 2006 and it was purchased by members of Ottawa's Irish community in 2007 to establish Saint Brigid's Centre for the Arts. The church is currently operating as a venue for public and private events, with the Kildare Room and Brigid's Well Pub in the basement.

A 'Building Condition Report' in 2023 outlined $18.2 million in short-term, medium-term and long-term actions needed to conserve the building's "deteriorating heritage infrastructure."

To help pay for the conservation of the infrastructure, St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts wants to remove the pews from the church to create an event space to accommodate 300 to 500 people for performances, cabaret events, weddings, banquets and other events.

A report for the Built Heritage Committee says staff have been working with the owners of the church, councillors and the community to find uses for the facility and discuss suitable alterations to the building.

"The removal of the pews was seen as a relatively minor intervention that could reap large benefits for the long-term viability of the space," the report says.

Staff say removing the pews provides "more flexibility for the space," and could generate more rental income to support the preservation and rehabilitation of the building.

A salvage plan for the historic pews includes moving some to the basement for use in the pub and the multipurpose room, and the remaining pews will be offered to other congregations, museums or the public.

There is no word on a price tag to remove the pews and turn the church into an event space.

In 2022, the historic church was put up for sale, and a deal to sell the church to the “United People of Canada” fell through.

St. Brigid’s was for sale in October 2022 for $5.95 million.

The former All Saints Ottawa Church on Laurier Avenue East has been transformed into an event space with a restaurant.