Demolish Magee House or we'll do it for you, city tells owner

The fate of Ottawa's Magee House is expected to be decided Thursday, after its owner failed to submit a satisfactory plan for saving the historic building.

The old stone house on Wellington Street W. partially collapsed July 24, and has sat open to the elements ever since.

The owner recently vowed to save the building, but the city is determined to demolish it before winter sets in and the building falls into further disrepair, potentially endangering public safety.

"The owner has until Nov. 15 to give us a plan for how to either preserve the building or to take it down," said Coun. Jeff Leiper, who represents Hintonburg, where the building is located.

"We have reached a point where winter has started and the owner has not given us any indication on how he can make that building safe."

At its meeting Thursday, the city's built heritage subcommittee will receive an update on the building, and it's expected the city will start to take some action as early as next week, Leiper said.

Restoration plan not 'realistic'

Owner Ovidio Sbrissa, who lived and worked in the building, previously applied for a demolition permit, a request city council granted on Oct. 10.

He later said he was undecided when he applied for the permit, and intended to hire masons to restore the building.

"The city does not consider [that plan to be] a realistic one, so now we are talking to him about when he is going to bring the building down," Leiper said. "If he is unable to bring it down, the city will do it for him."

John Cooke, an engineer hired by the city hired in July to assess Magee House, warned that what's left of the structure might not survive winter's heavy snow or freeze-thaw cycles, and may pose a threat to public safety.

"In light of the fact that there is a public safety risk, the city is now in a position to order the building to be demolished," Leiper said Wednesday.