An application to alter the former St. Brigid’s Church for better use as an event space is moving forward.
The Built Heritage Committee has given the green light to the owners of Saint Brigid’s Centre For The Arts to remove the pews and the nave of the church and replace them with hardwood flooring.
Some of the pews, which are fixed in place and not accessible, will be moved to the basement for use in the pub and multipurpose room.
The remainder will be labelled and stored off site while plans are made to repurpose them.
The church at 310 St. Patrick Street, which was built in the late 1800’s, originally served as the parish for the Irish Catholic working class of Lowertown, and when the building was first designated heritage in 1981, the space was restricted to be used as a place of worship.
The interior was added to the designation to recognize its vaulted ceilings, polychromed walls, carved woodwork, pews, organ, altar, and stained-glass windows.
The proposal will go before Ottawa City Council on Wednesday, Nov. 27.