The historic All Saints Anglican Church in Sandy Hill has been sold, and will gradually be developed as a mixed-use building for meetings, weddings and neighbourhood-scale businesses.
The Gothic Revival church on Laurier Avenue between Chapel Street and Blackburn Avenue was listed for sale at $1.7 million. The purchase price hasn’t been disclosed.
Completed in 1900, it was the site of the state funeral of Sir Robert Borden in 1937.
Leanne Moussa, one of the organizers of the drive to purchase and redevelop the building, says its link with past prime ministers is going to remain part of its future.
She says the plans include an interpretive centre for Prime Ministers’ Row, the historic strip along Laurier Avenue East that includes Laurier House itself, across from the church.
Plans also include: Multi-faith worship, weddings and a conference centre with catering in the building. The buyers want to offer a new location to TAN Coffee, which recently closed its Sandy Hill location after a lease expired.
The Anglican Diocese said in an anouncement that the investors buying the property are “a group who are committed to preserving public space and working with the community for the adaptive re-use of the Church and development of the surrounding property.”
It adds that “the adjacent church hall — commonly referred to as Bate Hall after the family who built the Church — will for the time being continue to serve as a community resource space. Mixed-use development that responds to community needs is planned for the site.”
Moussa and others formed a community group called Save The Saints to find a new use for the site.
For now, there won’t be changes to the outside of the church, though there will be renovations inside. For one thing, the pews are going to come out to create a large open space for meetings.
“In the longer term, there is some space for development out on the corner of Blackburn and Laurier,” she said.
This could involve commercial space downstairs, such as a bakery and a coffee shop. “Basically we’re looking for tenants that meet the needs of local residents.”
The plan is for office space upstairs, “hopefully targeting NGOs.”
tspears@ottawacitizen.com