Future plans to rebuild Vittoria Trattoria include an extension and a mixed-used development.

Vittoria Trattoria owner Domenic Santaguida says, “We are proposing an extension to the back and proposing that we go up another two floors and hopefully there will be residential dwellings, beautiful apartments, overlooking the ByWard market.”

Demolition work began Monday morning on the gutted ByWard restaurant. A fire on April 12 gutted the Vittoria Trattoria restaurant and surrounding businesses. The fire started on the roof and was deemed accidental, but did millions of dollars in damage.

The restaurant and its surrounding shops and restaurants sustained major damage to their interiors, which will have to be demolished and re-built. Scaffolding outside the heritage building has been in place for months to ensure the building remains intact.

Santaguida says it has been a long and slow process- dealing with red tape and insurance investigations. “Obviously I am sad. I watched all the wine bottles crumble today.  Every day is one step closer to closure.”

As Santaguida waited for demolition to begin, he has been working on new plans for the site. That includes building an extension to the back of the building, as well as a second floor to the restaurant.

“There will be a new building that will extend back out into this space that is being demolished,” says Santaguida.  He is also proposing building the site to four floors for apartments.

All the parts of the building that have been designated as heritage will be preserved.

Santaguida is applying for permits and will need approval from the city.

Chair of the ByWard Market BIA Josiah Frith says work on the building is a good step for the neighbourhood, “Any kind of interest that we can get down here is fantastic, the live-work, the live-commercial experience at the ByWard market is something that has always been at our core.”  

A public consultation will take place with the ByWard BIA Wednesday night at the BIA offices on Dalhousie Street.

Pending city approval, he hopes to re-open December 2020 or early 2021.