Located on the southeast corner of Bank and Somerset Streets, sits a building with a storied past and an uncertain future. Somerset House is part of the fabric of Centretown. The city has approved TKS Holdings' latest proposal for a Somerset Street addition. Centretown News takes a deeper look into how this iconic property is impacting the neighbourhood and local business. (Gabbi Van Looyen, Centretown News, Nov. 4, 2017)
Somerset House serves as a backdrop for neighbourhood life in Somerset Village. (Aidan Chamandy, Centretown News)
Somerset House has long been a fixture in the historic Somerset Village district in Centretown. It has been used as a general store, a hotel and a pub over its 121-year history. (Gabbi Van Looyen, Centretown News)
Somerset House partially caved in during renovations on Oct. 19, 2007. Exposed brickwork and wooden beams are all that remain of much of the building. (Gabbi Van Looyen, Centretown News)
The peeling, paint-flecked wood on the windowsill shows the state of disrepair. In 2016, the rear facade along Somerset Street had to be torn down as the city feared it would collapse. (Gabbi Van Looyen, Centretown News)
"You can see from the back where they've done demolition, it's just a pit," Heather Garrod, owner of Planet Botanix, said. She said she blames the state of the site for the litter she finds piling up behind her store. (Aidan Chamandy, Centretown News)
Garrod said that when one building is left to rot, the neighbourhood suffers. A decade of neglect has left the site overgrown and strewn with garbage. (Aidan Chamandy, Centretown News)
The rundown site is posing a risk to local businesses as well, says Garrod. Her health and wellness shop is less than a block away from Somerset House. (Aidan Chamandy, Centretown News)
Somerset House has been the subject of a decade-long dispute between developer, TKS Holdings, and the city. The developer does not want to invest money in the property until it has secured a tenant. (Aidan Chamandy, Centretown News)
People walk past Somerset House on their way down Bank Street. The remainder of the site is deemed structurally sound, but is continuing to deteriorate as the redevelopment process drags on. (Aidan Chamandy, Centretown News)
Credits:
Gabbi Van Looyen Aidan Chamandy