New ideas wanted for former U.S. Embassy years after gallery idea shelved

A prominent building across from Parliament Hill that wasslated to become a national portrait gallery at the end of the Chrtien era may finally see a new, publicpurpose.

The former U.S. Embassy at 100 Wellington St. has sat empty for eighteen years, since American diplomats moved to Sussex Drive.

Now, afterOttawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna promised during last fall's election campaign to ask people what the building could be used for, the federal government is doing just that.

Portrait of an unfulfilleddream

Today, the Beaux-Arts architecture-stylebuilding needs a full renovation.

Ithas mahogany paneling, marble walls, and its original1930s elevator, but there are alsoholes in the wallsand wires hanging from the ceiling from demolition work done a decade ago for the promisedgallery.

Back in January2001, then-Heritage Minister SheilaCoppsunder Prime Minister Jean Chretienannounced that the building, which had served as the U.S. Embassy since the 1930s, wouldbecome the futurehome of aNational Portrait Gallery.

That became a tortuous road.

An institution was created, with staff, but the largecollection of portraits never left the vault.

When the Conservativegovernment took power, it cancelled the project on Wellington Street, and in November 2007launched a national competition for private sector bidders to house the portraits in one of nine cities.

Bids came in from places like Calgary, Edmonton, and from Ottawa'sClaridge Homes to usea property that now houses a grocery store in a condo buildingon Metcalfe Street. Politicians includingthen-MP Paul Dewar and then-senator Jerry Grafsteinfoughtto keep the portrait gallery in Ottawa.

But in November2008, the Conservative government pulled the plug on that plan too, saying none of the bids met its bar.The building has been languishing since.

Town hall and online session

On Aug.18, the federal government will hold asession for the public at theSir John A. Macdonald Building at 144 Wellington St.from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and stream it onlineon the Public Services and Procurement CanadaFacebookpage.

It will make public a list of potential uses, and ask people for their own ideas in an online survey that will close Sept. 9.

"We want to hear the views of Canadians from coast to coast to coast on how to transform this important heritage building into a Canadian institution for all to enjoy," said minister Judy Foote in a statement.

And while the current federal government promises to turn the building intoa "key Canadian institution," none of the public materialso far makes reference to a portrait gallery, or those paintings and sculptures still sitting in the vault.