The owners of St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts want to remove the pews to create a 500-person event space in the historic church in Ottawa’s Lowertown neighbourhood, to help address a “growing heritage infrastructure deficit.” St.
Brigid’s Centre for the Arts has submitted an application under the Ontario Heritage Act to the City of Ottawa, seeking permission to remove the ground floor pews of the St. Patrick Street church in order to open a “flexible multi-purpose” event space. The application, submitted by architect Barry Padolsky on behalf of the St.
Brigid’s Centre for the Arts, says a Building Condition Report prepared in 2023 outlined $18.2 million in the short term, medium term and long-term actions needed to conserve the building’s “deteriorating heritage infrastructure.” The $18.
2 million estimate excluded “soft costs” and the renewal of non-heritage but essential features. St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts has been operating as a venue for public and private events since being purchased in 2007, including the Kildare Room and Brigid’s Well Pub in the basement.
“In the absence of significant municipal, Ontario or federal heritage grant assistance, and notwithstanding the owners’ personal funding contributions, the limited revenue from rental activities has not permitted the investments necessary to reduce the St Brigid’s Centre for the Arts growing heritage infrastructure deficit,” the report says. A look inside St. Brigid’s Cen.
