Daly Building

An early image of the Daly Building.

The Daly Building was a historic department store and office building in Ottawa, Canada, that was demolished with much controversy in 1991–92.^[1]

The building, designed by Moses Chamberlain Edey, opened as the T. Lindsay department store on June 21, 1905 and was Ottawa's first department store. It was located at the prominent intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive. The building was the only Chicago Style structure built in Ottawa, and one of the few such buildings erected in Canada. Later owned by A.E. Rae & Co, it was expanded at the north end and two additional stories were added in 1913. H.J. Daly acquired the building in 1915.

The Daly Building became a government office building in 1921 and served this role for many decades. Owned by the National Capital Commission (NCC), they had the cornice removed in 1964 after stone fell from it killing a pedestrian on the street below. The building was left unrenovated. In 1978 it was abandoned as unsuitable for office work. During the 1980s, the NCC tried to find a company that would restore the building, and in 1987 a Montreal firm was given a $45 million contract to restore the structure. However, when the building was examined it was found that portions were structurally unsound, and if it were to be restored large sections would have to be wholly rebuilt. Further studies found that if left alone the building posed a danger to the public, and could collapse under winter snow.

The developers did not have the funds to do such an extensive project, and in a controversial decision the NCC chose not to look for a new partner and in September 1991 authorized the destruction of the building. This was the first designated heritage building destroyed in the city since the heritage guidelines were introduced in 1982. It was a hugely controversial decision in Ottawa, that drew much criticism of the NCC both for the years of neglect that let the building decline and for the final decision to demolish it. It was demolished piecemeal circa October 1991-March 1992.

The Daly Building site remained vacant for more than a decade. There was much discussion of what would be built there; some advocated a park, and for a time there was a scheme to build a national aquarium on the site. Eventually the NCC leased the site to a developer who erected an 11-storey luxury apartment building, which opened in 2004.

References

↑ Foley, Dennis (November 22, 1991). "The Daly Debate. Even as it disappears, Daly remains building some love, and some love to hate". The Ottawa Citizen. p. B.1.

Landmarks in Ottawa

Infrastructure	Architecture Ottawa Convention Centre Capital Pathway Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Ottawa Train Station Rideau Canal Tallest buildings Wellington Street

Sport in Ottawa	Britannia Yacht Club Canadian Tire Centre Nepean Sailing Club Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park TD Place Arena TD Place Stadium Wesley Clover Parks

Entertainment and festivals	Byward Market Canadian Tulip Festival Gladstone Theatre Great Canadian Theatre Company National Arts Centre Ottawa Bluesfest Winterlude

Museums	Billings Estate Museum Bytown Museum Canada Agriculture Museum Canada Aviation and Space Museum Canadian Museum of History Canadian Museum of Nature National Museum of Science and Technology Canadian War Museum Currency Museum Pinhey's Point Historic Site Laurier House National Gallery of Canada Nepean Museum Portrait Gallery of Canada Royal Canadian Mint

Parks, squares, and natural landmarks	Bank Street Central Experimental Farm Chaudière Falls Confederation Park Dominion Arboretum Green Island (Rideau River) Hog's Back Falls Ottawa Greenbelt Lansdowne Park (redevelopment) Major's Hill Park Nepean Point Petrie Island Rideau Falls

Historical	24 Sussex Drive Chateau Laurier Diefenbunker Laurier House National War Memorial Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Parliament Hill Rideau Hall Supreme Court of Canada - (National Historic Sites of Canada in Ottawa Designated heritage properties)

Demolished structures	Capitol Cinema First City Hall Daly Building Dey's Arena Ottawa Auditorium Rideau Skating Rink Russell House Second City Hall The Arena Victoria Tower

Shopping	Bayshore Shopping Centre Byward Market CF Rideau Centre Place d'Orléans St. Laurent Centre Sparks Street Mall

Neighbourhoods	Britannia Centretown The Glebe New Edinburgh Rockcliffe Park Sandy Hill Vanier Westboro

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Coordinates: 45°25′33″N 75°41′39″W / 45.425828°N 75.694057°W / 45.425828; -75.694057

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Daly Building

References

Further reading