OTTAWA — The City of Ottawa is heading back to court to fight Lowertown’s least-loved landlord.

Mayor Jim Watson has directed city solicitor Rick O’Connor to revive court actions against Claude Lauzon that had been put on pause last year after Lauzon and the city agreed to an alternative path to preserve parts of a derelict, century-old schoolhouse at 287 Cumberland Ave.

The former Our Lady schoolhouse has deteriorated nearly beyond repair. The city tried to force Lauzon to bring the building up to its minimal standards last year and, after a preliminary legal battle, the two sides eventually reached a deal that would allow most of it to be demolished.

Under that agreement, Lauzon was ordered to carefully document what is currently in the building so it could potentially be replicated or kept for a record. The landlord was also required to preserve its south and west walls, securing them until the property is redeveloped.

But Lauzon has failed to commence any of the work to which both sides agreed, the city said Thursday.

“While the owner has raised concerns about the city’s approval and permitting process over the past few months, some of which the city addressed, this is no way justifies the owner’s failure to even commence work in accordance with the timetable agreed to between the parties,” said Jan Harder, who chairs the built-heritage committee.

She said the delay will make it “highly unlikely” that Lauzon would be able to complete the work by the agreed upon deadline.

There is also a concern that the building has suffered more damage as a result of “this prolonged neglect and lack of action,” Harder said.

“This is not tolerable,” the Barrhaven councillor said. “The city has been patient and will not stand by to watch heritage buildings being destroyed through neglect and inaction.”

Lauzon, who oversees Claude Lauzon Group, is a notorious landlord whose holdings are vast and varied and include numerous buildings throughout Lowertown, Vanier and New Edinburgh.

The former Cumberland Avenue schoolhouse, and an adjacent row of houses have been deteriorating for years under Lauzon’s ownership, who let the schoolhouse go while pursuing various half-hearted redevelopment plans.

The city declared it a public safety hazard more than a year ago and ordered him to fix it up, but Lauzon brandished an engineer’s report saying nobody could safely enter it and argued it could only be torn down.

That’s when Lauzon and the city ended up in court.

He did not return multiple calls Thursday for comment.

Taking Lauzon back to court sends a strong message to other landlords, said Leslie Maitland of Heritage Ottawa.

“The owner of this property isn’t the only one,” she said, adding that the National Capital Commission recently received the city’s permission to demolish two heritage buildings.

“I am mystified by the lack of movement on the part of the owner. I truly don’t get why you would leave properties derelict year after year, decade after decade,” Maitland said.

Private property is part of public domain, and its appearance matters to neighbours and visitors alike, she said.

“I shouldn’t have to be avoiding the corner of Cumberland and Murray when I bring visitors to Ottawa.”

Council beefed up the property standards bylaw last year to increase the standard of care for heritage buildings to help prevent situation such as this, which Harder called “demolition by neglect.”

The city hopes the stiffer rules will prevent other buildings from falling into disrepair.

“I want no one to have a doubt that we’re not going to do all we can to protect heritage in our city,” Harder said.

mpearson@ottawacitizen.com

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