Residential building to be built around former Sandy Hill church

A nine-storey residential building will be built around the former All Saints Anglican Church in Sandy Hill. (City of Ottawa documents)

A nine-storey, 113-unit residential building will be built around a historic church in Ottawa's Sandy Hill building.

Members of the built heritage committee approved an application to alter 315-321 Chapel Street, the site of the former All Saints Anglican Church.  The property, which is now used as an event space known as allsaints, was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1998.

The proposal calls for the demolition of the Bate Memorial Hall to build the new residential building, which will be built "around the apse of the former church."

"A six-storey brick corner tower will be the main feature on the new building, with a three-storey brick podium on the Chapel Street façade," says the report for the committee. "The proposal includes design details to tie the new building into the former church. These include coloured glass windows inspired by the former church’s stained-glass windows, and decorative metalwork evocative of the tracery found in the pointed arch windows."

Staff note the new building has been designed to "respect" the former All Saints Anglican Church in terms of materials and design.

"Large windows along Laurier Avenue East will provide views of the apse from the street," staff said.

The former All Saints Anglican Church was constructed between 1899 and 1900, and the Bate Memorial Hall was built as an addition in 1933-34. The church is located on the south side of Laurier Avenue East between Chapel Street and Blackburn Avenue.

Heritage Ottawa expressed support for the plan at the committee meeting on Tuesday.

Council approved a zoning bylaw amendment in 2018 to permit a nine-storey building on the site.

The planning and housing committee will consider the application on April 26.