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“The building’s completely out of whack with what would be expected in a heritage district … It’s a ridiculous looking structure.”

These are not comments about the proposed addition to the Château Laurier but were made over a design pitched by the National Capital Commission in 2014 to replace a building at 7 Clarence St. that was demolished due to poor maintenance. For those with a sweet tooth, that’s the former ByWard Market location of the iconic restaurant Memories that specialized in exotic desserts.

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The NCC proposed to replace the 135-year-old limestone building with a modern glass structure that was “reflective of the 21st century.” But that did not sit well with heritage activists and the ByWard Market community.

A year later, the NCC was praised for turning the project around. How the community went from anger to admiration may be instructive to the planning committee that meets Thursday to vote on the much-maligned 147-room addition proposed for the Château Laurier.