Committee votes in favour of plan to restore historic Somerset House

Ottawa’s built heritage committee has voted in favour of a new restoration plan for the historic Somerset House.

The proposal would see a three-storey addition to the back east of the building, with 14 residential units and two commercial units. Its design would preserve key historic features such as its distinctive red brick, bay windows, and corner metal turret.

Somerset House was originally built in 1896 as a department store for the Crosby, Carruthers Company.

But since partially collapsing and being vacated in 2007, the building has stacked up over 30 requests for service and nearly a dozen notices of violations. Several building projects have been approved by former councils to restore or demolish the building.

The City of Ottawa’s planning and housing committee will discuss the plan on Sept. 20.

Ottawa City Council will vote on the plan on Sept. 27.