There was a lot of action in the closed intersection of Bank and Somerset today, as demolition crews prepared for the big event. Heavy equipment was rolling in. A row of dumpsters was lined up, ready to haul away the carnage of the Somerset House Hotel. Demolition was slated to commence tomorrow or the next day.
But, at the eleventh hour, the old hotel was granted yet another stay of execution.
The intersection will stay closed a little while longer, while the owner is given another chance to save his heritage hotel. And I have to say I’m happy about that.
I do feel sympathy for the retailers in the neighbourhood. I know it’s not fair to them, especially the Dollar-It owner whose store has been closed for almost seven weeks now.
But I don’t think we should tear down heritage buildings just because they’re cutting into Christmas profits. If this hotel can be saved, I’m in favour of trying to save it. In the grand scheme of things, what’s another week or two when we’re talking about saving a 105-year-old building?
They don’t make buildings like this anymore, and they never will again. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
UPDATE: I loved the Chair’s post today: Requiem for a Tavern.
It took me an extra 20 minutes to walk to work this morning in the 20cm of overnight snow. It also took me an extra five minutes to get dressed to go outside: boots, flannel-lined jeans, turtleneck, wool sweater, clapotis, parka, hat, hood, wrist-warmer (just one; I’m not finished knitting its partner), Julia’s mittens. I was seriously bundled up and ready for some serious winter walking. The good news is I didn’t get cold on the 100-minute walk. But I did get too hot! It was a lot of work walking through the snow, and by the time I got to Preston Street, the hat, hood and mitts were off.
(It’s too early to tell, but I hope this isn’t one of those years in which the City saves money by ignoring the sidewalks. A few years ago they were absolutely treacherous.)
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Hard to believe they won’t just knock it down, now that they’ve got all those bulldozers and dumpsters set up. I agree with you that it’s all way too hasty for such an old building. Here’s hoping.
ooh a new word to use around the water cooler. how exactly does one pronounce it?
Robin, I’ll be surprised too if they don’t demolish it. But you never know.
Nursemyra, I think it’s properly pronounced with a french accent: cla-po-tee, with the accent on the third syllable. However, I didn’t find that out until I’d already said it a thousand times, so it’s locked into my brain as cla-pot-is, with the accent on the second syllable.
My walk to work yesterday took 50 minutes instead of 25. The CUmmings bridge was as sucky as ever.
My sidewalk (in Sandy Hill, on a street full of students) got done last night. Which is a good thing because I was ready to complain if they didn’t. They completely skipped it when we got snow last week.
I hope they find a way to save the building.
Yay! The mitts are working!