City heritage staff approve of a plan to fix up the ByWard Market buildings damaged by fire in April 2019.
The development applications to alter the buildings at 35-37 and 41-41½ William St. will be considered by the built-heritage subcommittee on Feb. 11.
Changes to the buildings are regulated because they’re in a heritage conservation district.
The fire on April 12, 2019 filled the sky above the market with smoke. Flames ripped through the two-storey commercial buildings, which included Vittoria Trattoria.
Fire officials said roofers accidentally started the blaze.
The redevelopment will incorporate the historic façades, a staff report says.
There is, however, one significant alteration proposed in the applications.
The back of building at 35-37 William St. would be expanded with a four-storey addition for apartments, which would be set back five metres from the facade. The third and fourth storeys would step back an additional 1.5 metres.
Staff made sure the extra two storeys would have little visual impact on the historic market district.
“The collective efforts of the property owners and their consultant team resulted in an imaginative project which retains the qualities of the streetscape, while adding new residential units and improving the functionality of the commercial spaces at grade,” the staff report says.