- 注册
- 2002-10-07
- 消息
- 402,219
- 荣誉分数
- 76
- 声望点数
- 0
In the latest chapter of the Dalhousie Street takeover that is sending Ottawa foodies into hipsteria, a restaurateur claims he is being unfairly painted as one of the bad guys.
Scott Porter, owner of Ace Mercado, a Mexicanish in-spot, said Friday he only agreed to lease the venerable Mellos Restaurant next door when the landlord insisted that the space would be vacant in the new year.
There has been public outcry since management of the iconic greasy spoon announced this week that it was being forced to leave. An online petition is being circulated in support of Martin Fremeth, the relatively new owner of Mellos, which has been in the ByWard Market for more than 70 years. The Lowertown Community Association has also thrown its support behind the cause.
Reports suggested Mellos was being ousted so Ace Mercado could expand, but Porter said he wasn’t trying to dislodge his neighbour.
“At that time the landlord explained they had already given the existing tenants a six-month extension on their current lease, which had expired in July, and had already informed them the current lease would not be renewed,” said Porter, who stressed the issue is “between the current Montreal-based tenant operating for the past three-and-a-half years and the landlord.”
Domicile Commercial Management, which operates but does not own the properties, would not confirm why it ceased a relationship with the current Mellos owners. Nor would it identify the property owners. But it did disclose that the lease with Ace Mercado is conditional upon the character of the space being maintained as a diner.
Porter confirmed this and the fact the iconic neon sign would also have to remain.
“We’ve been told that that sign stays, and in fact when we wrote our lease initially, it always indicated that the Mellos sign would stay on the building … we can maintain the space (as is) and keep the current staff employed, and the sign above the door, which is the property of the landlord.”
Sally Coutts, a City of Ottawa heritage co-ordinator, said the sign has heritage status.
“This building is in the ByWard Market Heritage Conservation District,” said Coutts in a written response. “Therefore, the building, including its sign, is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act.”
Asked if there are rules for moving signs and putting them up at a new establishment, she said an “application to alter” would be required.
Porter says he and business partner Phil Faubert have received a lot of community support this week, but some messages and comments have been “colourful and aggressive.” However, he says when they get the opportunity to explain their side of the story, people tend to change their attitude.
Shawn Dawson, owner of Fatboys Southern Smokehouse in the ByWard Market, says the public should support the Ace Mercado owners, since they are taking a chance with the lease and offering to keep the current Mellos staff employed, which “they have no obligation” to do.
“People should be actually thankful for Ace for wanting to come in and be there as a tenant to restore the diner as opposed to it being left empty,” said Dawson. “Either way the landlord was going to end the lease.”
— With files from Matthew Pearson
pmccooey@ottawacitizen.com
查看原文...
Scott Porter, owner of Ace Mercado, a Mexicanish in-spot, said Friday he only agreed to lease the venerable Mellos Restaurant next door when the landlord insisted that the space would be vacant in the new year.
There has been public outcry since management of the iconic greasy spoon announced this week that it was being forced to leave. An online petition is being circulated in support of Martin Fremeth, the relatively new owner of Mellos, which has been in the ByWard Market for more than 70 years. The Lowertown Community Association has also thrown its support behind the cause.
Reports suggested Mellos was being ousted so Ace Mercado could expand, but Porter said he wasn’t trying to dislodge his neighbour.
“At that time the landlord explained they had already given the existing tenants a six-month extension on their current lease, which had expired in July, and had already informed them the current lease would not be renewed,” said Porter, who stressed the issue is “between the current Montreal-based tenant operating for the past three-and-a-half years and the landlord.”
Domicile Commercial Management, which operates but does not own the properties, would not confirm why it ceased a relationship with the current Mellos owners. Nor would it identify the property owners. But it did disclose that the lease with Ace Mercado is conditional upon the character of the space being maintained as a diner.
Porter confirmed this and the fact the iconic neon sign would also have to remain.
“We’ve been told that that sign stays, and in fact when we wrote our lease initially, it always indicated that the Mellos sign would stay on the building … we can maintain the space (as is) and keep the current staff employed, and the sign above the door, which is the property of the landlord.”
Sally Coutts, a City of Ottawa heritage co-ordinator, said the sign has heritage status.
“This building is in the ByWard Market Heritage Conservation District,” said Coutts in a written response. “Therefore, the building, including its sign, is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act.”
Asked if there are rules for moving signs and putting them up at a new establishment, she said an “application to alter” would be required.
Porter says he and business partner Phil Faubert have received a lot of community support this week, but some messages and comments have been “colourful and aggressive.” However, he says when they get the opportunity to explain their side of the story, people tend to change their attitude.
Shawn Dawson, owner of Fatboys Southern Smokehouse in the ByWard Market, says the public should support the Ace Mercado owners, since they are taking a chance with the lease and offering to keep the current Mellos staff employed, which “they have no obligation” to do.
“People should be actually thankful for Ace for wanting to come in and be there as a tenant to restore the diner as opposed to it being left empty,” said Dawson. “Either way the landlord was going to end the lease.”
— With files from Matthew Pearson
pmccooey@ottawacitizen.com
查看原文...
