This is a day worth celebrating. As you can see above, after fifteen months of obstruction, the sidewalk and parking spaces in front of Magee House are finally open.
What will happen with Magee House longer-term remains to be seen but our primary goal of reopening our public thruway has been achieved. Do stroll on the north side of Welly, you’ve earned it with your patience.
Many thanks to Councillor Leiper and to the many city staffers for their hard work on this difficult file.
Please see more detail below in the latest report from the City.
Weekly update: Magee House (1119 Wellington West)
October 18, 2019
The fences are gone! Work to stabilize Magee House has been completed and has now been approved by the supervising engineer. The City has restored full public access to the sidewalk and the roadway in front of 1119 Wellington West.
You will notice that there is no overhead protection along the sidewalk. While the original bracing plan had called for it, the approach was adjusted during work, eliminating the need for overhead protection. The scope of the stabilization included structural wood framing, concrete work and injecting grout into some of the remaining walls to ensure no further risk of collapse. The building is ready to withstand Ottawa winters.
While stable, several orders under the Building Code Act remain in force, including an order prohibiting occupancy. The building cannot be occupied until further work is undertaken and the Chief Building Official provides authorization.
The engineer has established a schedule for regular monitoring over the long term, to confirm that the building remains stable until the owner decides how to proceed.
