113-year-old Calgary building up for donation as city looks to preserve history of former Chinese laundry

erstwhile destined for demolition, a historical edifice in sou'-east Calgary could presently find a new home.

The City of Calgary says it is willing to donate the Ogden Block building to "a qualified party able to relocate the building" to make way for construction of the Green Line.

"The hope is to save this historic piece of Calgary, and for it to continue to live on and serve a purpose," said Ward 9 Coun. Harrison Clark, who brought forward the proposal.

To sweeten the deal, the city is offering $50,000 alongside the donation of the building to help a suitable recipient relocate it.

If the building can't be relocated by Nov. 15, it will be demolished — a fate community members have lobbied against for some time.

The boarded-up old building is a place of much historical significance to the Calgary community, says Millican-Ogden Heritage Group chair Bonny Warbeck.

"If it was moved to somewhere else in the community, that still would be better than losing the building," Warbeck said.

Ogden Block, located at 7044 Ogden Rd. S.E., was once home to Hong Lee Laundry, a local business opened by Chinese immigrants Eng Hon Quon and Eng Shon Yun, as well as an 18-room boarding house.

It's what the City of Calgary calls "a rare example of a Chinese-owned building located outside Calgary’s historic Chinatown."

The Millican-Ogden Heritage Group says the building ended up being bought by a woman named Eliza Penhall, after which it housed wounded soldiers during the First World War.

The group says the building was converted into residential suites after the war, and even housed an ice cream store for a brief time.

After going from owner to owner for decades, the building was bought by the City of Calgary in 2021.

Warbeck is glad there's hope for Ogden Block to avoid being demolished, but says moving it out of Ogden might diminish some of the history behind it.

"We appreciate the city's gesture and what they're trying to do," she said. "At the same time, we still wish it could be on its original lot."

"Ideally, it would stay in our community," Warbeck said. "If somebody somewhere else wanted the building, that would be good in terms of saving a building from the landfill ... But I think the story and the significance of the building would get lost, because it's so much a part of our community."

The City of Calgary says having Ogden Block relocated rather than demolishing it is part of its "commitment to honouring the unique stories and history of the building."

"As part of the evaluation, consideration will be given to proponents who demonstrate a connection to the building’s story or the surrounding community," the city said.

To be considered for the Ogden Block donation, an application must be submitted with a proposal indicating how the building would be used, along with a demonstrated ability to move the building to a new location.

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